A.C. Slater and his pals are set to return in a “Saved by the Bell” reboot that will feature transgender celebrity Josie Totah.
Mario Lopez, Mark Gosselaar, and Elizabeth Berkley will reprise the roles that made “Bayside High” famous in the late 80s and 90s, but NBCUniversal’s upcoming streaming service Peacock will specifically spotlight the transgender actor.
The Hollywood Reporter noted Monday that “Totah will star as Lexi, a beautiful, sharp-tongued cheerleader and the most popular girl at Bayside High who is both admired and feared by her fellow students.”
NBCUniversal’s decision comes less than one year after Mr. Lopez found himself in hot water for comments on transgender issues.
“I’m kind of blown away, too,” Mr. Lopez said in June 2019 of parents raising transgender children. “I’m never one to tell anyone how to parent their kids, obviously, and I think if you come from a place of love, you really can’t go wrong, but at the same time, my God, if you’re 3 years old and you’re saying you’re feeling a certain way or you think you’re a boy or a girl or whatever the case may be, I just think it’s dangerous as a parent to make that determination.”
The actor made the comments during an appearance on “The Candace Owens Show” and promptly issued an apology as footage spread on social media.
“I have been and always will be an ardent supporter of the LGBTQ community, and I am going to use this opportunity to better educate myself,” Mr. Lopez said in a follow-up statement. “Moving forward I will be more informed and thoughtful.”
• Douglas Ernst can be reached at dernst@washingtontimes.com.
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