Kaylee Hottle, who appeared in two “Godzilla” movies, died on Tuesday in a car accident in Ijamsville, Md., the Frederick County Sheriff’s Department said. She was 18.
Her death was also confirmed by her father, Joshua Hottle, and by the Texas School for the Deaf in Austin, where she was a senior.
Kaylee Hottle was deaf, as were other members of her family extending several generations back on her father’s side.
Her film debut was in “Godzilla vs. Kong” in 2021; she played a young deaf girl who communicates with King Kong through sign language.
One of her fellow actors in the film, Alexander Skarsgard, told the news outlet Junkee that year that she “steals the movie.”
“It’s her first movie,” Mr. Skarsgard said. “It’s fascinating how comfortable she is in front of the camera and how quickly she takes notes from the director.”
Her character’s special bond with King Kong continued in the sequel, “Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire” in 2024. She also appeared in an episode of “Magnum, P.I.”
Using sign language, her father said in a video posted to social media after her death that she had a strong love for the deaf community and that she had stayed humble even after her acting success.
Ms. Hottle was a passenger in a car that was involved in a single-vehicle accident, the sheriff’s office said. The driver was injured, and another passenger was unhurt.
“A 1995 Honda Accord, operated by a 19-year-old Frederick man, traveled off the right side of the two-lane roadway and struck a culvert,” the sheriff’s department said, adding that excessive speed was believed to be a factor. The department is investigating the accident.
Roles can be scarce for deaf actors, and Ms. Hottle was aware of that.
“I’d like to see more deaf, young actresses get motivated when they see me onscreen, and hopefully they’ll have a chance in Hollywood as well,” she told The Houston Chronicle in 2024.
Evan Reynolds contributed reporting and Kirsten Noyes contributed research.