Kaylee Hottle, the young actress best known for playing Jia in the “Godzilla vs. Kong” films, died early Tuesday following a car accident in Maryland. Here are 10 things to know about her life, her career and the trailblazing role she played in bringing authentic deaf representation to a major Hollywood franchise.
1. She was born into a multi-generational deaf family
Hottle was born in Atlanta, Georgia, on May 1, 2007, into an all-deaf family with four generations of deaf relatives on her father’s side, according to Variety. She was fluent in American Sign Language from an early age, a skill that would later become central to her acting career.
2. Her career began in commercials advocating for the deaf community
Hottle got her start in commercials promoting support for the deaf and hard-of-hearing community. At age 9, she appeared in a widely viewed public service announcement for Glide, a live video messaging app commonly used within the deaf community. In 2017, she appeared in an advertisement for Convo, a video relay and ASL translation service, an appearance that would later prove pivotal to her acting career.
3. A casting director discovered her through that Convo ad
According to Wikipedia, casting director Sarah Halley Finn was searching for a deaf actress to portray the deaf character Jia in “Godzilla vs. Kong” and was connected to Hottle through an assistant director from the earlier film “Kong: Skull Island,” who had seen her in the Convo commercial and believed she matched the character’s description.
4. “Godzilla vs. Kong” marked her feature film debut
Hottle made her feature film debut in 2021’s “Godzilla vs. Kong,” playing Jia, a deaf orphan native to Skull Island who forms a close bond with Kong and is taken in by Dr. Ilene Andrews, played by Rebecca Hall. Early in the film, Jia presents a handmade doll to Kong, marking the beginning of a relationship that becomes central to the story.
5. Her co-stars learned sign language to work with her
Starring actors Rebecca Hall and Alexander Skarsgård both learned American Sign Language specifically so they could communicate with Hottle on set outside of scenes being filmed, according to Wikipedia. Skarsgård later praised Hottle’s remarkable talent and professionalism in the role, according to Forbes.
6. She reprised the role in the franchise’s 2024 sequel
Hottle returned as Jia in the 2024 sequel, “Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire,” once again portraying the character’s evolving bond with Kong. For that performance, she received a nomination for the Saturn Award for Best Performance by a Younger Actor.
7. She spoke openly about the importance of deaf representation
Ahead of the 2024 sequel’s release, Hottle spoke with Digital Spy about what it meant to bring a deaf character to a major franchise. “Jia being a Deaf person in this world, it’s so amazing to see her on the big screen,” Hottle said. “In general, I hope that Deaf people see her and they think the same thing, that she is as amazing as I think she is.”
Hottle also reflected on Jia’s emotional connection to Kong, describing it as central to the character’s journey. “I think Jia grew up not having anybody and now she’s able to connect with King Kong, they have such a caring relationship for each other,” she said. “Both of them are able to find their own paths and where they’re from and where their home is, but that also brings them together. They are able to get to that place they want to call home.”
8. She also appeared in the “Magnum P.I.” reboot
Beyond the Godzilla franchise, Hottle appeared in the “Magnum P.I.” reboot series, playing a character named Joon in a Season 4 episode, adding television credits to her growing filmography alongside her feature film work.
9. She was a senior at the Texas School for the Deaf
At the time of her death, Hottle was a senior at the Texas School for the Deaf, according to Forbes. The school confirmed her death in a public statement, writing: “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. Our hearts are with Kaylee’s family, friends, classmates, and everyone who knew and loved her during this incredibly difficult time.” The school also asked the public to respect the family’s privacy and refrain from speculating about the circumstances surrounding the accident.
10. Her father announced her death through a livestream in ASL
Hottle’s father, Joshua Hottle, who is also deaf, shared news of his daughter’s death through a nearly 23-minute Facebook livestream delivered in American Sign Language. He explained that he was flying from Texas to Maryland to claim her body, describing the shock of learning that his daughter had been involved in a severe crash. According to the Frederick County Sheriff’s Office, deputies responded around 2:52 a.m. Tuesday to a single-vehicle collision on Windsor Road in Ijamsville, Maryland. A preliminary investigation found that a 1995 Honda Accord left the roadway and struck a culvert, with authorities saying excessive speed is believed to have contributed to the crash. The driver, a 19-year-old Frederick man, was hospitalized with injuries not considered life-threatening, while another passenger declined treatment at the scene. The crash remains under investigation.
A legacy of representation
Hottle’s death has prompted an outpouring of grief across the entertainment industry and the deaf community alike, with tributes highlighting both her groundbreaking on-screen representation and the promise of a career and education that ended far too soon.
