Icons

Here’s Why We All Stan Josie Totah

· Updated on February 6, 2023

If you have been a fan of Jessie, the 2011 Disney show, or the 2013 ABC comedy series, Back in the Game, Josie Totah should be no stranger to you.

When Josie Totah began her acting career in 2012, she was known by her deadname. Josie’s role as Stuart Wooden in Jessie led to her phenomenal rise as a critically acclaimed star. 

In August 2018, Josie came out as a trans woman. Now, at all of 26, Josie Totah is breaking social barriers like a pro and delving deep into aspects society hesitates to question.

Comedy being her forte, she can take the weight off the most serious topic. Yet, she never minces her words, and the actor’s voice comes through clearly in the boldest and most determined way.

Related: Josie Totah is Forcing Hollywood to Grow Up

What are the popular shows and movies Josie Totah has been part of?

Josie Totah’s maiden role was in Awesomeness TV’s first production, “Lil” Dictator. Jessie happened the following year, along with Back in the Game. Josie Totah made guest appearances on shows like Liv and Maddie, New Girl, and 2 Broke Girls.

2015 saw her feature in the four episodes of the final season of the musical comedy-drama TV series Glee. Josie Torah made her film debut in 2016 with Other People.

Her performance in the film was critically acclaimed, and she received the Sundance Breakout Star of the Year award in 2016. Her other noteworthy films include Handsome on Netflix, Spider-Man: Homecoming, and Magic Camp.

The young star worked with Mindy Kaling in Champions, where she played Kaling’s character Priya Patel’s son Michael. In Peacock’s, Saved by the Bell, a reboot of the original sitcom, Totah’s character Lexi received admiration from the audience because of her unwavering strength and confidence.

True to her formidable personality, she started a podcast called Dare We Say, along with two of her friends, on which they discuss issues that affect their lives.

Being closeted made her childhood and early career difficult

Born in a small town in California with Palestinian and Lebanese lineage, acting had always been Josie’s passion. And she was fortunate enough to have gotten early opportunities that catapulted her into the limelight.

But her constant struggle for identity did not allow her the freedom and happiness she deserved. In a 2018 op-ed Josie wrote for TIME, she shared how many originally identified her as a gay boy and that she found that loathsome and inaccurate.

Josie felt differently, but she couldn’t communicate the inner workings of her mind to other people. The transphobia of the world and the film and TV industry kept her in the closet in the early years of her career. 

Deep inside, she identified herself as part of the LGBTQ+ community. She even went to the extent of half-correcting people on several occasions. However, she was afraid of being embarrassed and losing her followers due to her queer identity. The show Jazz Jennings show “I Am Jazz” changed it all for her.

She finally dared to confront her true feelings and mustered the courage to tell her mother about her transness. 

Josie’s podcast Dare We Say is a total yum

This no-holds-barred podcast is unique in several ways. To begin with, it is a show hosted by three friends who swear by each other.

In addition to being friends, all three of the Dare We Say hosts—Josie Totah, Yasmin Hamady, and Pascual Pena—are actors. It’s a colorful, fascinating, and socially relevant pallet of topics that affect Gen Z.

Their mixed and offbeat bag ranges from topics on social media and hookup culture to LGBTQ + rights to structural racism. They invite personalities, including activists, experts, politicians, and their elders (26+), to the show.

Through conversations with the guests, the young ladies try to figure out the world they live in today. And this way, they strive to find answers to many unanswered questions.

Related: Josie Totah, Alycia Pascual-Peña, and Yasmine Hamady Dish on Their Deeply Necessary, Radically Hilarious New Podcast

The show is an eye-opener for everyone. Thoroughly animated, to say the least, the seed of the show was sown from their disparate upbringings, perspectives, and identities.

Wrapping Up

Josie Totah is the story of grit, determination, and finding one’s true identity, despite the unfathomable challenges that life throws your way.

She has overcome societal pressure to emerge stronger, wiser, and more evolved. She has proven to the world that being different is not an anomaly. It’s life’s way of making you more tolerant and accepting of others.

If you enjoyed reading this, consider keeping up with all your favorite celebrities and queer news by subscribing to the INTO newsletter.

Don't forget to share:
Read More in Culture
The Latest on INTO