In Memory of Kaylee Hottle (2007-2026)

Kaylee Hottle (2007-2026)

The deaf actress Kaylee Hottle, whom many will remember for her starring role in two Godzilla movies, has died in a horrific car crash. She was 18. Her father posted a video statement on Facebook in which he confirmed the details of her death using American Sign Language (ASL).

Originally from Atlanta, Georgia, Kaylee was raised in Austin, Texas, where she studied at the Texas School for the Deaf. She began her acting career at the age of nine. Hottle's first acting role was in a Glide commercial, a video messaging app well-known within the hearing-impaired community. In 2021, Kaylee made her big-screen debut as the young orphan Jia in "Godzilla vs. Kong." She reprised her role in the 2024 sequel "Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire." Other notable roles of hers include Joon in a 2021 episode of "Magnum P.I."

The deaf community will miss her.

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In Memory of Brenda Fricker (1945-2026)

Brenda Fricker (1945-2026)

The Irish actress Brenda Fricker, known for playing the homeless bird lady in "Home Alone 2: Lost in New York," has died. She was 81 years old.

Hailing from Dublin, Fricker launched her acting career in television and stage productions in the 1960s and 1970s, including Ireland's first soap opera, "Tolka Row," and the ITV soap opera "Coronation Street." 

She appeared in the first episode of the long-running BBC medical drama "Casualty" in 1986. Fricker remained a regular cast member until 1990 and continued to make guest appearances in subsequent years. In 1990, Fricker won the Best Supporting Actress Oscar for her role as Daniel Day-Lewis's on-screen mother in "My Left Foot," becoming the first Irish actress to win an Academy Award.

Two years later, Fricker was cast in another memorable role: that of the homeless bird woman who becomes friends with Macaulay Culkin's Kevin in "Home Alone 2: Lost in New York." She also appeared in "So I Married an Axe Murderer," "Angels in the Outfield," "A Time to Kill," and "Veronica Guerin."

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In Memory of Sam Neill (1947-2026)

Sam Neill (1947-2026)

New Zealand actor Sam Neill, best known for his roles in "Dead Calm," "The Piano," and "Jurassic Park," has died. He was 78 years old. News of his death was announced in a statement published on Neill's Instagram account.

Born in the Northern Irish town of Omagh in 1947, he immigrated to the South Island of New Zealand with his family at age 7 and settled in Christchurch. Neill appeared in several television movies and shorts for New Zealand television in the 1970s before gaining recognition for his lead role in the internationally acclaimed 1977 homegrown action thriller "Sleeping Dogs." He then relocated to Australia, securing another internationally acclaimed role in the 1979 film "My Brilliant Career," opposite Judy Davis. However, he did not arrive on the international cinema scene until 1981, when he played Damien Thorn in the satanic blockbuster "Omen III: The Final Conflict." During the 1980s, Neill appeared in countless Australian movies, including "Attack Force Z" with Mel Gibson, "Evil Angels" with Meryl Streep, and "Dead Calm" with Nicole Kidman.

In 1993, Neill propelled himself into the public eye with his two portrayals of New Zealand settler Alisdair Stewart in Jane Campion's Oscar-winning film "The Piano" and Dr Alan Grant in Steven Spielberg's blockbuster "Jurassic Park." He reprised the role of Alan Grant twice: in 2001's "Jurassic Park III" and 2022's "Jurassic World Dominion." Over the next three decades, Neill proved his immense versatility, excelling in both the sci-fi horror of 1997's "Event Horizon" and the dry humour of the 2000 comedy-drama "The Dish."

Among the other films that Neill starred in during his long career are "The Hunt for Red October," "The Jungle Book," "In the Mouth of Madness," "The Horse Whisperer," "Bicentennial Man," "Dirty Deeds," "Daybreakers," "The Hunter," "Hunt for the Wilderpeople," and "Peter Rabbit." Neill has also worked on various TV series and miniseries outside of cinema, including "Merlin," "Peaky Blinders," and "The Tudors." Neill has received numerous honours throughout his lengthy film career. In June 2022, he was knighted and appointed a Knight Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit.

After being diagnosed with a type of blood cancer in 2023, Neill revealed that he had undergone chemotherapy in private for a year. In April 2026, he posted an update saying that he had recently undergone a new form of immunotherapy. He added that subsequent scans indicated that no trace of cancer could be found in his body. Neill's final film appearance is expected to be in "Godzilla x Kong: Supernova," which is currently in post-production and due for release in 2027.

My condolences go to his family and friends.

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