Television and film actor Taylor Kinney, who is best known for starring in the NBC drama “Chicago Fire,” was born and raised in Lancaster County.
Kinney grew up in Neffsville and graduated from Lancaster Mennonite in 2000.
Kinney landed his first main television role in 2006 in “Fashion House,” a telenovela on MyNetworkTV.
His next lead role came three years later in NBC’s “Trauma,” which focused on a group of paramedics in San Francisco. The show was canceled after just one season.
He landed a recurring role in the supernatural drama “The Vampire Diaries,” playing werewolf Mason Lockwood for several episodes in the second season before the character was killed off.
Kinney then guest-starred in a variety of shows – including “CSI:NY,” “Rizzoli & Isles,” “Shameless,” and “Castle” – before he got the lead in another first responder show, “Chicago Fire,” in 2012. He portrays Chicago Fire Department Lt. Kelly Severide in the series, which is still on the air.
He also has some film credits, most notably “Zero Dark Thirty” in 2012. He appeared as part of the Navy SEAL team that took down Osama bin Laden.
In 2011, Kinney played the love interest in Lady Gaga’s music video for “You & I.” He and the singer started dating and became engaged in 2015 but ended the relationship the next year.
Kinney began dating model Ashley Cruger in 2022, and the two married in April 2024.
Kinney still has ties to the Susquehanna Valley, so it’s not unusual to spot him in the area.
He’s an investor in Zoetropolis Cinema Stillhouse, which is a movie theater, restaurant and distillery in Lancaster.
