Actress Kaylee Hottle from Godzilla vs Kong dies aged 18 in car crash
Developed over time first seen 2 months ago
Kaylee Hottle, the young actress best known for playing Jia in Legendary's MonsterVerse films, has died at the age of 18. Her father, Joshua Hottle, confirmed she was killed in a car accident in Maryland on Tuesday morning, with authorities initially reporting a serious crash before later telling him her heart had stopped en route to hospital. Her death cuts short a promising young career and has prompted an outpouring of tributes from fans of the franchise.
Joshua Hottle shared the news in an emotional social media livestream delivered in American Sign Language, explaining he was travelling from Texas to Maryland after learning of his daughter's death. Kaylee was born into a multigenerational deaf family and was fluent in ASL; she began her career in commercials before landing her breakout role in 2021's Godzilla vs. Kong, playing Jia, a young girl living on Skull Island under the care of Dr Ilene Andrews, portrayed by Rebecca Hall, a role she reprised in a subsequent MonsterVerse film.
- Godzilla vs. Kong actress Kaylee Hottle has died aged 18
- Killed in a Maryland car crash on Tuesday, father confirms
- Deaf actress played Jia in two MonsterVerse films
New here? Start with this
Kaylee Hottle was an American actress who first drew attention for her role in Godzilla vs. Kong, part of the long-running MonsterVerse film series built around Godzilla, King Kong and other giant monsters. She played Jia, a young girl cared for by a scientist character in the films, and later returned for a follow-up instalment. Hottle was deaf and came from a deaf family, and she performed and communicated using American Sign Language throughout her career.
Her father, Joshua Hottle, is a well-known figure in the deaf community online, and it was through his social media that news of her death spread. She was 18 years old and had appeared in commercials before landing her breakout film role, building a following among fans of the MonsterVerse franchise and within the deaf community, who saw her casting as a notable moment of representation on screen.
More coverage
- Consequence — Kaylee Hottle, Deaf Actress from Godzilla vs. Kong Films, Killed in Car Accident
- Far Out — ‘Godzilla vs Kong’ actor Kaylee Hottle dies at 19 following car accident
Read the full article at the source →
Originally published by Collider as “‘Godzilla vs. Kong’ Star Kaylee Hottle Dead at 18”.