diff --git a/modules/skottie/gm/ExternalProperties.cpp b/modules/skottie/gm/ExternalProperties.cpp
index 786a95d0d7..0b82ba5654 100644
--- a/modules/skottie/gm/ExternalProperties.cpp
+++ b/modules/skottie/gm/ExternalProperties.cpp
@@ -25,14 +25,15 @@ static constexpr char kSkottieResource[] = "skottie/skottie_sample_webfont.json"
 // Dummy web font loader which serves a single local font (checked in under resources/).
 class FakeWebFontProvider final : public skresources::ResourceProvider {
 public:
-    FakeWebFontProvider() : fFontData(GetResourceAsData(kWebFontResource)) {}
+    FakeWebFontProvider()
+        : fTypeface(SkTypeface::MakeFromData(GetResourceAsData(kWebFontResource))) {}
 
-    sk_sp<SkData> loadFont(const char[], const char[]) const override {
-        return fFontData;
+    sk_sp<SkTypeface> loadTypeface(const char[], const char[]) const override {
+        return fTypeface;
     }
 
 private:
-    sk_sp<SkData> fFontData;
+    sk_sp<SkTypeface> fTypeface;
 
     using INHERITED = skresources::ResourceProvider;
 };
diff --git a/modules/skottie/gm/SkottieGM.cpp b/modules/skottie/gm/SkottieGM.cpp
index 03b0b75784..6365d179b3 100644
--- a/modules/skottie/gm/SkottieGM.cpp
+++ b/modules/skottie/gm/SkottieGM.cpp
@@ -25,14 +25,15 @@ static constexpr char kSkottieResource[] = "skottie/skottie_sample_webfont.json"
 // Dummy web font loader which serves a single local font (checked in under resources/).
 class FakeWebFontProvider final : public skresources::ResourceProvider {
 public:
-    FakeWebFontProvider() : fFontData(GetResourceAsData(kWebFontResource)) {}
+    FakeWebFontProvider()
+        : fTypeface(SkTypeface::MakeFromData(GetResourceAsData(kWebFontResource))) {}
 
-    sk_sp<SkData> loadFont(const char[], const char[]) const override {
-        return fFontData;
+    sk_sp<SkTypeface> loadTypeface(const char[], const char[]) const override {
+        return fTypeface;
     }
 
 private:
-    sk_sp<SkData> fFontData;
+    sk_sp<SkTypeface> fTypeface;
 
     using INHERITED = skresources::ResourceProvider;
 };
diff --git a/modules/skottie/src/layers/TextLayer.cpp b/modules/skottie/src/layers/TextLayer.cpp
index 633b0c8254..35e9dfe9ca 100644
--- a/modules/skottie/src/layers/TextLayer.cpp
+++ b/modules/skottie/src/layers/TextLayer.cpp
@@ -263,8 +263,14 @@ bool AnimationBuilder::resolveNativeTypefaces() {
         //   2) system font (family/style)
         //   3) system default
 
-        finfo->fTypeface =
-            fmgr->makeFromData(fResourceProvider->loadFont(name.c_str(), finfo->fPath.c_str()));
+        finfo->fTypeface = fResourceProvider->loadTypeface(name.c_str(), finfo->fPath.c_str());
+
+        // legacy API fallback
+        // TODO: remove after client migration
+        if (!finfo->fTypeface) {
+            finfo->fTypeface = fmgr->makeFromData(
+                    fResourceProvider->loadFont(name.c_str(), finfo->fPath.c_str()));
+        }
 
         if (!finfo->fTypeface) {
             finfo->fTypeface.reset(fmgr->matchFamilyStyle(finfo->fFamily.c_str(),
diff --git a/modules/skresources/include/SkResources.h b/modules/skresources/include/SkResources.h
index 3a5769d900..c5bdb81dfa 100644
--- a/modules/skresources/include/SkResources.h
+++ b/modules/skresources/include/SkResources.h
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@
 #include "include/core/SkData.h"
 #include "include/core/SkRefCnt.h"
 #include "include/core/SkString.h"
+#include "include/core/SkTypeface.h"
 #include "include/core/SkTypes.h"
 #include "include/private/SkMutex.h"
 #include "include/private/SkTHash.h"
@@ -96,6 +97,8 @@ public:
     }
 
     /**
+     * DEPRECATED: implement loadTypeface() instead.
+     *
      * Load an external font and return as SkData.
      *
      * @param name  font name    ("fName" Lottie property)
@@ -112,6 +115,17 @@ public:
                                    const char[] /* url  */) const {
         return nullptr;
     }
+
+    /**
+     * Load an external font and return as SkTypeface.
+     *
+     * @param name  font name
+     * @param url   web font URL
+     */
+    virtual sk_sp<SkTypeface> loadTypeface(const char[] /* name */,
+                                           const char[] /* url  */) const {
+        return nullptr;
+    }
 };
 
 class FileResourceProvider final : public ResourceProvider {
@@ -137,7 +151,7 @@ protected:
 
     sk_sp<SkData> load(const char[], const char[]) const override;
     sk_sp<ImageAsset> loadImageAsset(const char[], const char[], const char[]) const override;
-    sk_sp<SkData> loadFont(const char[], const char[]) const override;
+    sk_sp<SkTypeface> loadTypeface(const char[], const char[]) const override;
 
 private:
     const sk_sp<ResourceProvider> fProxy;
diff --git a/modules/skresources/src/SkResources.cpp b/modules/skresources/src/SkResources.cpp
index 1d3e710c3f..8934fd40e2 100644
--- a/modules/skresources/src/SkResources.cpp
+++ b/modules/skresources/src/SkResources.cpp
@@ -196,8 +196,9 @@ sk_sp<ImageAsset> ResourceProviderProxyBase::loadImageAsset(const char rpath[],
                   : nullptr;
 }
 
-sk_sp<SkData> ResourceProviderProxyBase::loadFont(const char name[], const char url[]) const {
-    return fProxy ? fProxy->loadFont(name, url)
+sk_sp<SkTypeface> ResourceProviderProxyBase::loadTypeface(const char name[],
+                                                          const char url[]) const {
+    return fProxy ? fProxy->loadTypeface(name, url)
                   : nullptr;
 }