Deaf student stars in Godzilla vs. Kong

Kaylee Hottle is a student at the Texas School for the Deaf--and a star in Godzilla vs. Kong, which premieres today in theaters and on HBO Max.

Hottle plays Jia, a young orphaned girl who is deaf, who forms a powerful bond with Kong. Together the pair take on a perilous journey.

This is Hottle’s first feature film movie role. There are four generations of Deaf relatives on Kaylee’s father’s side. She has an older deaf sister and three younger hearing siblings.

Alexander Skarsgard who plays a geologist in the film, says he learned some sign language so he could speak with Hottle when the cameras weren't rolling. He told Hollywood Life:

”She’s so professional and just incredibly … there’s so much going on on her face, her expression and the subtleties of that is fascinating to watch.”