Profile Text
Totah in 2014, photo by Prphotos
Birth Name: Joseph Jacob Totah
Place of Birth: Sacramento, California, U.S.
Date of Birth: August 5, 2001
Ethnicity: *50% Palestinian *25% Lebanese *12.5% Italian *6.25% Irish *6.25% German
Josie Totah is an American actress, comedian, and singer, her full name being Josie Jaye Totah. She was previously credited as J.J. Totah. Her roles include the films Other People , Handsome , Spider-Man: Homecoming , Magic Camp , and MOXiE! , and the series Jessie , Back in the Game , Nina Needs to Go! , Champions , No Good Nick , Saved by the Bell (2020), and The Buccaneers (2023). She is a transgender woman.
Josie’s father is of Palestinian Christian descent. Josie’s mother is of one half Lebanese, one quarter Italian, one eighth Irish, and one eighth German, ancestry.
Josie’s paternal grandfather was Mansur Isa Totah (the son of Esa Totah and Hilweh Shatara). Mansur’s family was from Ramallah, West Bank. Esa was the son of Ghannam Totah and Hanneh Balat. Hilweh was the daughter of Elias Shatara and Nimeh Araj.
Josie’s paternal grandmother was Naimeh Muhawieh (the daughter of Issa Muhawieh and Nazeera/Nazira Tarazi). Naimeh was born in 1937 in Ramallah, West Bank. Issa was the son of Ibrahim Muhawieh and Martha Balat.
Josie’s maternal grandfather was Joseph Charles Jacobs (the son of Joseph G. Jacobs and Sadie “Sally” Samaha). Josie’s grandfather Joseph was born in California. Josie’s great-grandfather Joseph was born in California, the son of Lebanese parents, Mike Joseph Jacobs and Sarah Nemee. Sadie was born in California, the daughter of Lebanese parents, Ayoub “Joe” Samaha and Mamie J. Shehady.
Josie’s maternal grandmother is Mary Frances Riley (the daughter of Harold Edwin Riley and Loretta Cleon DiCresce). Harold was born in Ohio, the son of Lancelot Vernill/Vernell Riley, who had Irish ancestry, and of Mary Ella/Ellen Fisher, whose parents were German. Loretta was born in Ohio, to Italian parents, Santo Alexander DiCresce and Francis D’Alphonso.
Sources: Obituary of Josie’s paternal grandmother, Naimeh (Muhawieh) Totah – http://www.legacy.com
Josie’s maternal great-grandfather, Harold Edwin Riley, on the 1930 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org
Josie’s maternal great-grandmother, Loretta Cleon DiCresce, on the 1920 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org
Obituary of Josie’s maternal great-grandmother, Loretta Cleon (DiCresce) Riley – http://www.recordnet.com