Prerna Singh
The fans of the ‘Godzilla’ and ‘King Kong’ franchise have got the ultimate treat with the film ‘Godzilla vs. Kong,’ which is inarguably the best face-off in the MonsterVerse. However, there is another character who is stealing the hearts of fans worldwide, and it is Jia, a deaf orphan girl. Jia forms a special connection with the mighty Kong, and they communicate with each other using sign language.
Kaylee Hottle’s performance in the monster film has placed the young actress in the limelight. Her convincing performance as a deaf Iwi native girl in the film has got people interested to know more about her and her background. So here is everything you want to know about the talented young actress!
Kaylee Hottle’s Age and Family
Kaylee Hottle is a deaf actress who was born in Atlanta, Georgia. It is hard to confirm her date of birth, but it has been reported that she was born on May 1, 2012. Kaylee is fluent in American Sign Language, which has helped her bag commercials as well as her first feature film ‘Godzilla vs. Kong.’ She is a student of The Texas School for the Deaf. Her parents Ketsi Carlson and Joshua Hottle, are also deaf, and so is her older sister. Kaylee reportedly has three hearing siblings who are younger than her.
Kaylee’s mother, Ketsi Carlson, was reportedly born in Korea and adopted by a family that moved to Superior, Wisconsin. Kaylee’s father was born in Minnesota. But when he was young, his family moved a lot, including places like Oklahoma, Kansas, and Colorado. Ketsi and Joshua both attended a deaf school in Minnesota. However, Kaylee’s parents are no longer together. Her mother is now in a relationship with Ryan Kelly, and the two seem to be quite happy with each other. Ryan is as proud of Kaylee as her parents are and is supportive of her acting career as well.
Kaylee Hottle’s Acting Career
Kaylee began her career as an actress by appearing in commercials for the Glide app public service announcement in 2016 and the Mother’s Day commercial for Convo Relay in 2017. You may also recognize her from the 2018 ASL Nook video called ’10 Deaf Children: One Powerful Message.’ With her debut in the MonsterVerse film, Kaylee got the platform to exhibit her exceptional acting talent along with big names in the industry such as Rebecca Hall, Alexander Skarsgård, Millie Bobby Brown, and Brian Tyree Henry.
Kaylee’s co-stars can’t stop gushing about the young talent. In an interview, Skarsgård shared that he was amazed by how professional Kaylee is, adding that she was incredibly comfortable in front of the camera. He said that it was a joy to work with her because she took direction very well and quickly incorporated feedback. He especially praised how expressive her face is and the finesse with which she acts. The producer of ‘Godzilla vs. Kong’ shared that it was not easy to get to Kaylee, but they finally reached her through an unconventional network of casting directors.
Sarah Halley Finn is the casting director responsible for bringing the actress on board for the film. Although Kaylee faced minor challenges, the team was sensitive to her needs and made efforts to make her experience as smooth as possible. Kaylee shared that there were times that she misunderstood the script for the spoken parts due to its translation in ASL. However, she appreciated that the cast and some of the workers on the set learned ASL, making it easy for her to communicate.
There are several people in the industry that Kaylee looks up to, but she has a special place in her heart for Millie Simmonds because she believes that it is essential for deaf actors to portray deaf characters. She believes that a deaf person understands deaf culture better than a hearing person. With her dedication and determination towards her prowess, the actress does have a promising future ahead of her.
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