| Kaylee Hottle | |
|---|---|
| Born | 2007 or 2008 (age 16–17) |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 2021–present |
Kaylee Hottle (born 2007 or 2008) is a deaf American actress who stars in the 2021 film Godzilla vs. Kong and its 2024 sequel film Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire. For the latter, she was nominated for the Saturn Award for Best Performance by a Younger Actor.
Background
Hottle was born around 2007 or 2008. She was born to an all-deaf family, with her father's side having four generations of deaf relatives, and is fluent in American Sign Language. In 2017, she appeared in a commercial for the video relay service Convo. She also appeared in other commercials, as well as the informational project 10 Deaf Children: One Powerful Message, aimed at promoting support for the Deaf community in their pursuit of equal rights.
For the 2021 film Godzilla vs. Kong, the casting director Sarah Halley Finn looked for a deaf actor for the film's deaf character Jia through a network of casting directors and theaters, and she was guided to Hottle by an assistant director from the earlier film Kong: Skull Island who saw her in a Convo commercial. The film was Hottle's feature-film debut. The film's starring actors, Rebecca Hall and Alexander Skarsgård, learned ASL so they and Hottle could communicate on set when not in character. In the film, her character uses ASL to communicate with the giant gorilla Kong. Hottle reprised her role as Jia for the 2024 film Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire. For the 2024 film, she was nominated for the Saturn Award for Best Performance by a Younger Actor (see 52nd Saturn Awards).
She attends the Texas School for the Deaf in Austin, Texas.
References
- ^ Nudo, Meredith (March 27, 2024). "'Godzilla x Kong' series' Kaylee Hottle forging bright future in Hollywood". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved March 28, 2024.
- ^ Thompson, Avery (March 31, 2021). "Kaylee Hottle: 5 Things About The Deaf Actress Who's 'Godzilla Vs. Kong's Breakout Star". Hollywood Life. Retrieved March 28, 2024.
- Staff (March 27, 2024). "'Speak up and follow your dreams.' Kaylee Hottle Gives Advice for the Hearing Impaired Ahead of Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire". Young Entertainment. Retrieved March 28, 2024.
- Lewis, Maria (March 25, 2021). "We Hung Out With Alexander Skarsgård On The Set Of 'Godzilla Vs Kong' And It Was Wild". Junkee. Retrieved March 28, 2024.
- Warren, Peter (March 25, 2024). "Kaylee Hottle, actor with Texas School for the Deaf roots, stars in Godzilla x Kong: A New Empire". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved March 28, 2024.
- "The 52nd Annual Saturn Awards Nominations". saturnawards.org. Saturn Awards. Retrieved December 10, 2024.
- Hipes, Patrick (December 5, 2024). "'Dune: Part Two', 'Fallout' Lead Saturn Awards Nominations". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved December 11, 2024.
- Knight, Drew (April 1, 2021). "Texas School for the Deaf student lands monster-sized role in 'Godzilla vs. Kong'". kvue.com. KVUE. Retrieved March 28, 2024.