Since 2012, Taylor Kinney has been one of the pillars of the One Chicago universe, captivating viewers with his timeless portrayal as Lieutenant Kelly Severide.
With more than 230 episodes of Chicago Fire under his belt — not including crossover episode appearances on Chicago P.D. and Chicago Med — Kinney has become synonymous with his character over the years.
However, the talented 44-year-old’s successful career in TV and film began way before Severide. Here’s everything fans should know about Kinney’s most well-known roles before he first suited up for Firehouse 51.
Taylor Kinney’s acting career started in 2006
The Lancaster, Pennsylvania-born actor kicked off his career in a big way with a starring role in the American nighttime soap opera Fashion House. Kinney appeared in 35 episodes as Luke Gianni, the son of Maria Gianni, played by the timeless Bo Derek. After his single-season arc concluded, Kinney landed minor roles in shows like Bones and What About Brian.
In 2009, Kinney unknowingly prepared himself for his lengthy One Chicago career by starring in NBC’s Trauma as EMT Glenn Morrison. Trauma was a drama series focusing on San Francisco-based paramedics and aired for one season.
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However, Kinney’s most well-known role ahead of his time on Chicago Fire has to be his 10-episode run as Mason Lockwood in the hit series The Vampire Diaries. If you’ve always had a crush on the star, it most likely started when you first saw him in the iconic supernatural teen drama!
Kinney also had guest-starring roles on other shows like CSI: NY, Shameless, and Castle before landing his career-defining role as Severide on Chicago Fire. And as far as that fateful audition is concerned, well, Kinney was cool as a cucumber.
“My first audition for Chicago Fire? I was in the circuit of auditioning a lot, so I was decent at it. I remember never having any anxiety. I was excited about it, and then you kind of leave it up to the powers that be,” he explained during a 2023 interview with NBC. “It went well, and 10 years later I’m still here bugging you through your televisions while you fold laundry.”
What are Taylor Kinney’s most recognizable movie roles?
You’re a true Kinney superfan if you can name all his movie roles throughout his career.
While his most prominent roles can be found in the 2012 military thriller Zero Dark Thirty and 2018’s Here and Now, starring opposite Sarah Jessica Parker, Kinney has a long list of movie roles on his resume, beginning in 2007 when he appeared in White Air and the horror film Furnace.
Kinney’s acting career is quickly approaching its two-decade mark, and sometimes even the man himself can’t believe how far he’s come. In a 2023 behind-the-scenes video, Kinney revealed that his first job was as a golf caddy — which he called “frustrating.”
“I carried golf clubs for older women who didn’t know how to play golf. It was frustrating,” he admitted.
Frustrations about his job aside, he still had plenty of money to fuel one of his passions — and it’s something many fans can relate to.
“I would make enough money to buy a medium thin-crust pizza from Pizza Hut [and] rent a blockbuster movie for Saturday night,” Kinney said as he described his idea of a perfect evening. “Thanks, old ladies!”
Taylor Kinney talks about his admiration for the city of Chicago
One Chicago fans will be happy to know that the love Kinney has for Chi-town is so strong that the actor once revealed that he plans to live in the city long after his tenure on Chicago Fire comes to an end.
“I feel each year, each season, I become more and more a part of the community,” he confessed during a 2017 interview with Front Row Features. “I’m pickier than I realized when I first started looking for property, for an apartment house to buy, to live there. I’ve been there for five years. I’ve come to love the city and want to live there, and I’ll probably keep it after the show ends.”
Fans can catch Kinney in Chicago Fire Season 14 every Wednesday at 9/8c — only on NBC, with episodes available to stream the next day on Peacock.
