Before he was battling blazing infernos as Lieutenant Kelly Severide on Chicago Fire, Taylor Kinney was carrying a very different kind of weight—golf bags for strangers who didn’t always know how to swing a club.
It’s a far cry from his life now as one of primetime television’s most recognizable faces, but Kinney’s very first job came with lessons, laughter, and a slice (of pizza, not golf). And as he looks back on those early days, the actor admits they were filled with simple joys that set the tone for the grounded star fans have come to love.
Taylor Kinney’s First Job: Lugging Clubs and Learning Patience
Kinney has worn many uniforms in his career—from firefighter turnout gear to military fatigues in past roles—but his first “work uniform” was much less glamorous.
“Caddy,” Kinney said with a grin in a 2023 One Chicago retrospective video. “I carried golf clubs for older women who didn’t know how to play golf. It was frustrating.”
Though the younger Kinney may have bristled at the slow pace of his clients, he quickly discovered the upside: pocket money. For a teenager with modest tastes, that meant independence, fun, and one very specific weekend tradition.
“I would make enough money to buy a medium thin-crust pizza from Pizza Hut [and] rent a Blockbuster movie for Saturday night,” Kinney recalled, lighting up at the memory. “Thanks, old ladies!”
It wasn’t fame, fortune, or red carpets—but for Kinney, those simple indulgences were everything.
The Leap From Greens to Screens
Of course, carrying golf bags was never the endgame. Years later, after studying business and theater in college, Kinney found himself chasing a bigger dream. His break came in modeling and television roles before landing what would become the role of a lifetime.
When Kinney auditioned for Chicago Fire in 2011, he walked into the room with a confidence that matched Kelly Severide’s own fearless swagger.
“My first audition for Chicago Fire, I was in the circuit of auditioning a lot,” Kinney explained. “So I was decent at it. I remember never having any anxiety; I was excited about it. And then you leave it up to the powers that be: they went well.”
They went more than well. Within a year, Kinney was front and center as Firehouse 51’s smoldering, risk-taking Squad Lieutenant.
More Than a Decade as Severide
Thirteen seasons later, Taylor Kinney remains the heart of Chicago Fire. His character has weathered explosive rescues, heartbreaking losses, and fiery romances—and so has the actor himself. Kinney’s departure and return to the show in recent years only cemented how deeply fans connect to him.
Reflecting on the show’s 10-year anniversary in 2022, Kinney didn’t hide his gratitude:
“It’s never lost on me how special it is to be a part of something with the longevity this has,” he told Us Weekly. “It’s a testament to Dick Wolf and the team of people he puts together.”
The Journey From Pizza Nights to Primetime
From making just enough money to splurge on pizza and Blockbuster nights, to becoming one of network television’s most beloved leading men, Taylor Kinney’s journey is a testament to patience, perseverance, and yes, a little bit of fearlessness.
Now, as Chicago Fire prepares to launch its fourteenth season this fall, Kinney remains humbled by the path that got him here—even if it started with golf clubs and some very patient “older women” on the green.
And for longtime fans, it’s that very mix of charm, humility, and grit that keeps them tuning in, week after week, to watch Severide do what he does best: run into the fire when everyone else is running out.
