Taylor Kinney is taking a leave of absence from Chicago Fire after 11 seasons. The 41-year-old, who currently stars as Lieutenant Kelly Severide, is reportedly taking a break from the NBC show to deal with a personal matter. According to Deadline, the cast and crew have been informed of Taylor's upcoming absence and scripts are being rewritten to reflect the changes.
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Having starred in Chicago Fire since the very first episode aired in 2012, fans will no doubt notice the actor's absence in future episodes. A favorite on the show, viewers have grown particularly attached to the on-screen romance between Taylor's character Kelly and his wife Stella Kidd (played by Miranda Rae Mayo). We're sending our best wishes to Taylor during this time.
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Taylor Kinney has been starring in Chicago Fire since 2012
The TV star's temporary departure marks another major change for the show, following Jesse Spencer's decision to leave the franchise. Famed for playing Captain Matthew Casey in the firefighter drama between 2012 and 2021, the actor decided to leave Chicago Fire after almost ten years. Explaining his reasons for leaving, Jesse said:
The news follows Jesse Spencer's previous departure in 2021
"I realized I'd been doing TV for a long time, so I added it up… We were coming up on the 200th episode and I called Derek [Hass, showrunner] to break the news that it was time for me to leave the show."
He continued: "He agreed we should at least get Casey to the 200th episode. It was a difficult decision because I've loved the show from the start but there are other things I'd like to do in the future."
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