Taylor Kinney is trading Firehouse 51 for holiday sparkle in a new project that instantly set the internet buzzing. The Chicago Fire star stunned fans after posting what looked like a classic Christmas-movie poster on Instagram — his first feed update in almost two years.
In the image, Kinney (credited as Aiden Winter) poses beside a mystery woman in a snowy, gift-laden scene straight out of a Hallmark romance. But fans quickly learned this wasn’t a movie at all.
Kinney revealed the “holiday magic” was actually part of a clever new Google x NBCUniversal campaign, designed to look like festive film trailers while promoting updated Google Search features.
The “co-star” fueling the frenzy? WWE personality Nikki Garcia (Holly Hall) — and, stealing the spotlight in the background, NFL superstar Travis Kelce’s mom, Donna Kelce, cheerfully dressed in a Christmas sweater. Donna plays “Carole Hall,” winking at her real-life fame after her recent Hallmark cameo.
Fans briefly believed Kinney had joined a full holiday film, titled The Gift Exchange, before realizing it was a seasonal ad series. Even so, the reaction was huge, with many simply thrilled to see the actor active on social media again.
Off-screen, Kinney is happily married to model Ashley Cruger, who’s often seen bonding with the women of the One Chicago cast. On-screen, he continues his long-running role as Kelly Severide opposite Miranda Rae Mayo’s Stella Kidd — a partnership he recently described as “pretty tight knit… like a surrogate family.”
