Kaylee Hottle, Deaf Korean-American Actor in 'Godzilla' Films, Dies at 18 in Car Crash

Kaylee Hottle, a deaf Korean-American actor known for her role in the "Godzilla" film series, has died at the age of 18.

The New York Times reported on the 21st (local time) that Hottle died in a car crash in Frederick, Maryland.

The Frederick County Sheriff's Office explained that the accident is believed to have occurred when the vehicle she was in veered off the lane due to speeding.

Hottle made her Hollywood debut in 2021 at the age of 9 in the movie "Godzilla vs. Kong," playing Jia, a deaf girl who communicates with Kong using sign language.

She later appeared in the 2024 sequel "Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire."

She also greeted viewers through the TV series "Magnum P.I." and was scheduled to appear in the film "What Doesn't Kill Us."

Hottle was born in Georgia to deaf parents, and her mother is known to be a Korean-American who was born in Korea and adopted to the United States.

Even before her debut in the film industry, she appeared in public service announcements to raise awareness for the deaf and has been credited with contributing to increasing the presence of deaf actors in Hollywood films.

In a past interview, Hottle said, "We just cannot hear, but we can do many things," adding, "We need more deaf actors and crew members in the industry so that people can naturally accept hearing loss."

(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.