Kaylee Hottle, the young actress whose performance as Jia brought emotional depth to Legendary’s MonsterVerse films, has died at the age of 18 following a car crash in Maryland.
News of Hottle’s passing was shared Tuesday by her father, Joshua Hottle, who announced the tragedy in a video statement on Facebook delivered in American Sign Language. He accompanied the post with the message, “I am taking a flight that I would never like to take.”
According to the Frederick County Sheriff’s Office, Hottle died in a single-vehicle collision that occurred at approximately 2:52 a.m. Tuesday. Investigators said a 1995 Honda Accord driven by a 19-year-old man left the roadway and struck a culvert. Authorities believe excessive speed was a contributing factor. Hottle was a passenger in the vehicle.
Born into a multigenerational deaf family, Hottle made her feature film debut as Jia in 2021’s Godzilla vs. Kong, returning to the role in 2024’s Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire. Her character communicated with Kong using American Sign Language, creating one of the franchise’s most memorable emotional connections.
Co-stars Rebecca Hall and Alexander Skarsgård learned ASL to communicate with Hottle during production. Speaking about her after the first film’s release, Skarsgård praised the young actress’s professionalism and natural talent.
“It’s her first movie,” he said in a 2021 interview. “It’s fascinating how comfortable she is in front of the camera… She’s so professional, and there’s so much going on in her face, her expression and the subtleties of that.”
Rest in Peace, Kaylee.
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Hottle also appeared in an episode of the Magnum P.I. reboot and earned a Saturn Award nomination for Best Younger Performer for her work in Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire.
Following news of her death, the Texas School for the Deaf, where Hottle was a student, paid tribute on Instagram.
“Our hearts are with Kaylee’s family, friends, classmates, and everyone who knew and loved her during this incredibly difficult time,” the school said.
Hottle’s performances resonated with audiences not only because of her talent but also because they brought greater visibility to deaf representation in mainstream blockbuster filmmaking.
