‘Godzilla vs Kong’ actor Kaylee Hottle dies at 18 following car accident
American actor Kaylee Hottle, best known for Godzilla vs Kong, has died aged 19 following a car accident.
The heartbreaking announcement was made by her father, Joshua Hottle, in a 23-minute live-stream on Facebook. He captioned the post, “I am taking a flight that I never would like to take.”
Communicating in American Sign Language, Joshua explained that he was travelling to Maryland, where the fatal crash had occurred. He is currently in Texas and was first told by authorities about the incident before being informed that her heart had stopped on the way to the hospital.
Joshua has also confirmed news of his daughter’s death to TMZ.
Texas School for the Deaf in Austin, Texas, which Hottle attended, has led the tributes, writing on social media, “It is with profound sadness that we share the heartbreaking news that one of our TSD seniors, Kaylee Hottle, tragically passed away yesterday in a car accident in Frederick, Maryland.”
They added, “Our hearts are with Kaylee’s family, friends, classmates, and everyone who knew and loved her during this incredibly difficult time.”
Hottle, who was born deaf, came from a multi-generational deaf family in Austin, but communicated fluently in ASL.
Her first move into acting came in 2017, aged just ten, when she appeared in a commercial for Convo.
Subsequently, the Convo advert led to her landing the important role of Jia, a deaf character, in the 2021 blockbuster Godzilla vs Kong. She later reprised the role in 2024’s Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire, which landed her a nomination at the Saturn Awards.
Hottle explained in a 2024 interview with Chron, “I had a connection with Convo. They asked me to be in a commercial one day, and so I did that commercial. And then the assistant director of [Kong: Skull Island] saw me and they thought I matched the character description of Jia.”
She also felt a responsibility to the deaf community, adding, “I see a lot of positive things. There’s not a lot of Deaf roles or opportunities out there. And so now we’re able, [and] I’m able to get them, and I think I’ve seen more and more growth and positivity.”
Hottle’s Gorilla vs Kong co-star Alexander Skarsgård was full of praise for her, stating in 2021 to Junkee, “It’s her first movie. It’s fascinating how comfortable she is in front of the camera and how quickly she takes notes from the director Adam [Wingard]. He’ll explain something and she’ll be like, ‘Got it, got it.’ Then she’ll just do it and everyone’s like, ‘The fuck … how did she?'”
Skarsgård, who learned ASL to communicate with Hottle on set, added, “She’s so professional. There’s so much going on on her face, her expression, and the subtleties of that is fascinating to watch.”
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