Actor Kaylee Hottle, who gained recognition for portraying Jia in the Godzilla film franchise, has died at the age of 18 following a car accident in Maryland, US, according to reports.
The news was confirmed by her father, Joshua Hottle, who shared details of the tragedy in a live stream using American Sign Language (ASL), the reports stated.
Kaylee was much loved for representing deafness realistically in blockbuster cinema and was recognised as a familiar face among audiences through her performances in the MonsterVerse films.
According to TMZ, Joshua Hottle said his daughter was involved in a serious road accident earlier in the day. He explained that he travelled from Texas to Maryland after learning about the incident.
Joshua further revealed that officials informed him that Kaylee suffered cardiac arrest while being transported to the hospital. She could not be revived.
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A Rising Talent In Hollywood
Born in Atlanta, Georgia, Kaylee Hottle came from a multi-generational deaf family. She began her acting journey at a young age, first appearing in commercials, including a public service announcement for the video messaging application Glide, which is widely used within the deaf and hard-of-hearing community.
Her breakthrough came in 2021 with Godzilla vs Kong, where she played Jia, a young deaf girl who shares a unique bond with King Kong through sign language. She reprised the role in Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire, released in 2024.
Television Appearance
Apart from the MonsterVerse films, Kaylee also appeared in the reboot of Magnum P.I., portraying the character Joon in an episode of the show's fourth season.
Kaylee Hottle's performances were praised for bringing greater visibility to deaf representation in Hollywood. She is survived by her family.
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