Kaylee Hottle dead at 18: Godzilla vs Kong child star passes away after tragic car crash

Kaylee Hottle, who starred in two Godzilla movies, passed away at the age of 18.

The actress died in a car crash in Maryland on Tuesday morning, her father, Joshua Hottle, confirmed.

Kaylee, who is deaf, played a young girl who can communicate with Godzilla using sign language in the 2021 film Godzilla vs Kong and its 2024 sequel Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire.

Hottle was a passenger in a 1995 Honda Accord that went off the road and crashed into a ditch, and speed was also a factor. TMZ.

Two other people were in the Honda at the time and both survived the crash. While the 19-year-old driver suffered non-life-threatening injuries, it was stated that another passenger was not treated at the scene.

According to TMZ, Kaylee’s father shared the news with his Facebook followers in a livestream titled “I’m getting on a plane I never want to get on,” in which he explained that he had to travel from Texas to retrieve his daughter’s body.

Joshua, who is also deaf, said via American Sign Language that shortly after learning of the accident, he received a call from authorities informing him that his daughter’s heart had stopped on the way to the hospital.

He appeared in the 2021 film Godzilla vs Kong and its sequel Godzilla X Kong: The New Empire.

The Daily Mail has reached out to Kaylee’s father for comment.

Kaylee’s school, Texas School for the Deaf, also announced her passing on its Facebook page.

‘It is with deep sadness that we share the heartbreaking news that one of our TSD seniors, Kaylee Hottle, tragically passed away in a car accident yesterday in Frederick, Maryland.

‘Our hearts go out to Kaylee’s family, friends, classmates and everyone who knew and loved her during this incredibly difficult time.

We have very limited information at this time and ask that everyone respect the privacy of Kaylee’s family and refrain from posting or speculating about the circumstances surrounding the accident.

‘We recognize that this loss will have a significant impact on our TSD community. Counseling and support services are available for students and staff who may need them, and additional support is provided to Kaylee’s classmates and friends.

‘Please keep Kaylee’s loved ones in your thoughts as we mourn this tremendous loss together.’

Kaylee is perhaps best known for her role as Jia, a young girl who can communicate with King Kong using sign language and has a ‘special’ bond with him.

‘Because Kong and my character had a special bond. “We signed with each other,” he said. Daily Moth In 2021.

The script was translated into ASL with the help of Kaylee’s parents and another person; It was a process that presented some challenges on set.

Kaylee’s character Jia communicated with Kong using sign language

The tragic loss was also announced by Kaylee’s school, the Texas School for the Deaf.

‘I didn’t mind memorizing the script and signing my lines, but the hard part was signing the ‘verbal’ parts because we had to change it and sometimes they told us it was wrong but they didn’t understand that ASL changed almost everything,’ he said.

‘Because the translator said what I said. The producer and director would sometimes say “Don’t say that” and ask me to follow the script, but the signs for that sentence would be different in ASL.

‘There was a misunderstanding between us regarding the ASL translation which caused a delay, but they later understood.’

Kaylee also taught her fellow actors how to sign: ‘I teach the actors how to sign. They had never interacted with a deaf person before.

‘I had to explain how to mark and use facial expressions. That was the hard part, but once they figured it out it was okay. I had no difficulties, they were very hospitable. Some of the workers learned to sign.’

At the time, Kaylee’s co-star Alexander Skarsgård praised her, calling her the star of the film.

Rebecca Hall, Jia’s stepmother, Dr. She played Ilene Andrews.

Godzilla vs Kong star Alexander Skarsgard raves about Kaylee in 2021 interview

She even learned American Sign Language to communicate with him when she wasn’t filming.

Kaylee ‘stole the movie’ he said junkie In 2021.

‘This is his first movie,’ he said. “It’s fascinating how comfortable he is in front of the camera and how quickly he takes notes from director Adam. [Wingard].

‘He’ll explain something and she’ll say ‘I get it, I get it’, then she’ll just do it and everyone’ll be like ‘why did she do it?’ he will say. ‘He’s so professional and incredibly… There’s so much going on in his face, his expression and the intricacies of it are fascinating to watch.’

According to her IMDb, Kaylee comes from a completely deaf family.

In addition to her role in the Godzilla films, Kaylee also appeared in an episode of Magnum PI and has appeared in commercials for products that help deaf and hard of hearing people.

He made a public service announcement for video chat app Glide and a commercial for Convo Relay.

Kaylee also appeared in 10 Deaf Children: A Powerful Message.

Apart from being in the limelight, he was also an athlete as a member of his school’s track and field team.