Kaylee Beth Hottle[1] (March 17, 2008 – July 21, 2026) was a deaf American actress who starred in the monster film Godzilla vs. Kong (2021) and its sequel, Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire (2024). For the latter, she was nominated for the Saturn Award for Best Performance by a Younger Actor.
Kaylee Hottle | |
|---|---|
 Hottle in 2021 | |
| Born | Kaylee Beth Hottle March 17, 2008 Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. |
| Died | July 21, 2026 (aged 18) Ijamsville, Maryland, U.S. |
Cause of death | Multiple blunt-force trauma as a result of a traffic collision |
Burial place | Kyle, Texas, U.S. |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 2017–2026 |
Early life
editKaylee Beth Hottle was born on March 17, 2008,[2][3] in Atlanta, Georgia,[4][5] to an all-deaf family, with her father's side having four generations of deaf relatives. She was fluent in American Sign Language (ASL).[6] She was of Korean descent through her mother.[7] She attended the Texas School for the Deaf in Austin, Texas,[8] where she competed in track and field.[9]
Career
editHottle began her career with commercials. In 2017, at age nine,[10] she appeared in a commercial for the video relay service Convo.[11] She also appeared in other commercials,[6] as well as the informational project 10 Deaf Children: One Powerful Message, aimed at promoting support for the Deaf community in their pursuit of equal rights.[12]
For the 2021 film Godzilla vs. Kong, casting director Sarah Halley Finn looked for a deaf actress for the deaf character Jia through a network of casting-directors and theaters,[6] and was guided to Hottle by an assistant director from the earlier film Kong: Skull Island (2017) who had seen her in a Convo commercial.[11] The film was Hottle's feature-film debut, in which her character uses American Sign Language to communicate with the giant gorilla Kong. Starring actors Rebecca Hall and Alexander Skarsgård learned ASL so they and Hottle could communicate on set when not acting.[13] Also in 2021, she appeared in an episode of the action television series Magnum P.I.[5]
Hottle reprised her role as Jia for the 2024 film Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire,[14] for which she was nominated for the Saturn Award for Best Performance by a Younger Actor at the 52nd Saturn Awards.[15]
Death
editIn the early morning of July 21, 2026, Hottle sustained injuries in a single-vehicle collision in Ijamsville, Maryland.[16] She was one of three occupants in a vehicle that veered off the road and struck a culvert. Deputies responded at 2:52 a.m.; the driver suffered non-life-threatening injuries, while the other passenger declined help. Police said that excessive speed was believed to be a factor. Hottle was airlifted by Maryland State Police to R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center, where she was pronounced dead. Her father announced her death in a Facebook video statement.[17][18] The following day, Hottle's cause of death was confirmed as multiple blunt-force trauma, and her manner of death was ruled an accident.[19]
Former co-stars Rebecca Hall, Dan Stevens, and Millie Bobby Brown paid tribute to Hottle on social media, as did actress, author, and deaf advocate Marlee Matlin.[10][20] Legendary Entertainment, the film company that produced the Monsterverse films Hottle starred in, left a tribute on social media, and Royal National Institute for Deaf People associate director Teri Devine described Hottle as a "passionate advocate for the deaf community and deaf actors in Hollywood".[21]
Hottle was interred in an unidentified cemetery in Kyle, Texas, following a memorial service at the Texas School for the Deaf on August 3.[22]
Credits
edit| Year | Title | Medium | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Godzilla vs. Kong | Film | Jia | [23] |
| Magnum P.I. | Television series | Joon | Episode: "Texas Wedge"[23] | |
| 2024 | Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire | Film | Jia | [23] |
References
edit- ↑ "Kaylee Beth Hottle Obituary (2026) - Austin, TX - Beck Funeral Homes & Cremation Services - Austin/Round Rock". Legacy.com. Retrieved August 5, 2026.
- ↑ Hottle, Ketsi (July 23, 2026). "[photo]". Retrieved July 24, 2026 – via Facebook.
- ↑ Hottle, Ketsi [@syncwithasl]; (July 23, 2026). "[photo]". Retrieved July 24, 2026 – via Instagram.
- ↑ Muir, Ellie (July 21, 2026). "Godzilla vs Kong star Kaylee Hottle dies aged 18 after car accident". The Independent. Archived from the original on July 21, 2026. Retrieved July 21, 2026.
- 1 2 Evans, Greg (July 21, 2026). "Kaylee Hottle Dead: Godzilla Vs. Kong & Godzilla X Kong: The New Empire Star Was 18". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on July 21, 2026. Retrieved July 21, 2026.
- 1 2 3 Thompson, Avery (March 31, 2021). "Kaylee Hottle: 5 Things About The Deaf Actress Who's Godzilla Vs. Kong's Breakout Star". Hollywood Life. Archived from the original on March 28, 2024. Retrieved March 28, 2024.
- ↑ Jae-hee, Choi (July 22, 2026). "Korean American Godzilla actress Kaylee Hottle dies at 18 in car crash". The Korea Herald. Retrieved July 22, 2026.
- ↑ Knight, Drew (April 1, 2021). "Texas School for the Deaf student lands monster-sized role in Godzilla vs. Kong". KVUE News. Archived from the original on September 24, 2023. Retrieved March 28, 2024.
- ↑ Shafer, Ellise (July 21, 2026). "Godzilla vs. Kong Star Kaylee Hottle Dies at 18". Variety. Archived from the original on July 21, 2026. Retrieved July 21, 2026.
- 1 2 Aizin, Rebecca (July 21, 2026). "Kaylee Hottle's Godzilla Costar Millie Bobby Brown Shares She Is 'Devastated' by Child Star's Death at 18". People. ISSN 0093-7673. OCLC 794712888. Archived from the original on July 21, 2026. Retrieved July 21, 2026.
- 1 2 Nudo, Meredith (March 27, 2024). "Godzilla x Kong series' Kaylee Hottle forging bright future in Hollywood". Houston Chronicle. Archived from the original on March 27, 2024. Retrieved March 28, 2024.
- ↑ "'Speak up and follow your dreams.' Kaylee Hottle Gives Advice for the Hearing Impaired Ahead of Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire". Young Entertainment. March 27, 2024. Archived from the original on March 28, 2024. Retrieved March 28, 2024.
- ↑ Lewis, Maria (March 25, 2021). "We Hung Out With Alexander Skarsgård On The Set Of Godzilla Vs Kong And It Was Wild". Junkee. Archived from the original on March 28, 2024. Retrieved March 28, 2024.
- ↑ Warren, Peter (March 25, 2024). "Kaylee Hottle, actor with Texas School for the Deaf roots, stars in Godzilla x Kong: A New Empire". Houston Chronicle. Archived from the original on March 28, 2024. Retrieved March 28, 2024.
- ↑ Hipes, Patrick (December 5, 2024). "Dune: Part Two, Fallout Lead Saturn Awards Nominations". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on December 5, 2024. Retrieved December 11, 2024.
- ↑ Castro, Amanda; Miller, Joshua Rhett (July 21, 2026). "Kaylee Hottle, Godzilla vs. Kong Star, Dies at 18". Newsweek. Retrieved July 22, 2026.
- ↑ Clarke, Naomi (July 21, 2026). "Kaylee Hottle: Godzilla vs Kong actress dies in car crash at 18". BBC News. Archived from the original on July 21, 2026. Retrieved July 21, 2026.
- ↑ Vlessing, Etan (July 21, 2026). "Kaylee Hottle, Godzilla vs. Kong Actress, Dies at 18". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on July 22, 2026. Retrieved July 21, 2026.
- ↑ Petski, Denise (July 22, 2026). "Kaylee Hottle Cause Of Death Revealed". Deadline. Additional contributions by Greg Evans. Retrieved July 22, 2026.
- ↑ McKinley, Franklin (July 21, 2026). "Godzilla vs. Kong Stars Rebecca Hall and Millie Bobby Brown Pay Tribute to Kaylee Hottle: 'You Will Be Deeply Missed'". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on July 22, 2026. Retrieved July 21, 2026.
- ↑ de Souza, Naomi (July 22, 2026). "Kaylee Hottle: 'Devastated' Millie Bobby Brown leads tributes". BBC News. Retrieved July 22, 2026.
- ↑ "Kaylee Hottle laid to rest". Yahoo. August 4, 2026. Retrieved August 4, 2026.
- 1 2 3 Lee, Benjamin (July 21, 2026). "Godzilla v Kong actor Kaylee Hottle dies aged 18". The Guardian. Retrieved July 21, 2026.