Deaf actress Kaylee Hottle brings heart to 'Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire'
NEW YORK CITY (WABC) -- First there was King Kong and then Godzilla. Now there's a new movie coming out -- 'Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire' -- and it's bringing the two titans together.
This time the two behemoths are teaming to save the human race. But they can't do it without Jia, played by Kaylee Hottle, a fourth-generation deaf actress who gives the movie its heart.
From Skull Island to the top of the Empire State Building, you can't help but feel a certain sense of nostalgia when you think about Kong.
The king of beasts has come a long way since 1933 and so has the franchise. This latest entry in the monsterverse finds Kong and Godzilla teaming up to take on a colossal threat.
Entertainment Reporter Joelle Garguilo sat down with Hottle about the film and her character's meaning in it all.
"After I watched the movie, I thought, wow, this is going to make such a big impact," said Hottle. "And i was so excited. She's a young deaf girl, just like all many others out there. And this journey that she's going on is just going to be so amazing.
Hottle comes from an all-deaf family spanning four generations, so playing this character in this movie holds profound significance for who she's representing.
"Representation means to me, it shows where I come from and who I represent and what I'm representing for," Hottle said. "Jia in the movie, she represents bravery. And I represent the deaf community. And I also represent Asian Americans as well. So we have everything we need. And so I truly care so much about representation."
When asked if Hottle has a message for anyone in her community who might be inspired to see her on the big screen, she had a simple response.
"Believe in yourself and be true to yourself," she said.
"Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire" hits theaters worldwide on Friday.
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