18-year-old Kaylee Hottle, the deaf actor who played Jia in 2021's "Godzilla v Kong," was killed in a car crash in Frederick, Maryland.
Her father, Joshua Hottle, confirmed the death in an American Sign Language Facebook video, and the Texas School for the Deaf, where she studied, also shared condolences.
Hottle reprised Jia in 2024's "Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire," a role that earned her a Saturn Awards nomination for best performance by a younger actor.
Her work drew notice for on-set inclusion—co-stars Rebecca Hall and Alexander Skarsgard learned ASL to communicate directly with her—and for her advocacy for more deaf actors and crew in film.