Taylor Kinney’s Absence Explained on ‘Chicago Fire’

Taylor Kinney is taking a leave of absence from Chicago Fire, the series he has starred on as fan-favorite Kelly Severide since 2012.

The actor’s departure is due to a personal matter, a source close to production confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter following Wednesday night’s episode, which began to handle the shift for the character.

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The actor did not appear in the episode, titled “Damage Control,” but his character’s wife, Stella Kidd (Miranda Rae Mayo), acknowledged his absence after it was explained that Severide had left to attend a top arson investigation program. The conversation between Captain Tom Van Meter (Tim Hopper) and Wallace Boden (Eamonn Walker) strongly implied the character will return, as Van Meter explained that Severide jumping on the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity will give him expertise that will benefit the entire firehouse when he returns.

NBC declined to comment about Kinney’s departure and if he will return.

Kinney has starred on the long-running show in NBC’s hit Chicago franchise for 11 seasons and more than 200 episodes, over which time the drama from procedural king Dick Wolf, co-created with Derek Haas for Universal Television, has become a key piece of the NBC/Peacock library amid the streaming era. It earned a three-season renewal in 2020, covering the currently airing 11th season.

Kinney has also appeared on sister series Chicago P.D. and Chicago Med.

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