‘Chicago Fire’: Taylor Kinney’s Leave of Absence Likely Prompted Rewrites
Taylor Kinney is off Chicago Fire for the time being. The series, now in its 11th season, has survived several high-profile exits, temporary or otherwise. But Kinney, who plays Chicago Fire Department Lieutenant Kelly Severide, is a particularly disruptive loss for the long-running series.
The former Vampire Diaries star is a central figure in Fire, the crown jewel of the One Chicago primetime drama franchise. Season 11 was already in pre-production when he left, so it’s likely that we’re getting a very different version of the current storylines compared to what was originally planned.
Taylor Kinney is off ‘Chicago Fire’ for the foreseeable future
Kinney announced his exit from Fire and the broader One Chicago franchise back in January, according to Hello Magazine. The cast and crew were informed of his upcoming absence in the middle of production, despite having plans in place for his character throughout the season. The Zero Dark Thirty actor said he needed an extended break from the series to deal with a personal matter.
Kinney has a decent cash cushion thanks to his long career in film and television, so any lost wages from Chicago Fire shouldn’t be too damaging for him personally. But there could be some damage to the show as the writers work around his absence.
It makes for an especially difficult situation, given that the Kelly character just got married to Stella Kidd in Season 10. After a long series run of dating around, Kinney’s character entered a major new phase that will have to be picked up down the line.
Kinney’s departure from ‘Chicago Fire’ was curiously abrupt
Kinney and the show’s producers are staying quiet on whatever motivated Kinney to leave the show. The one notable public detail: Deadline reports that the decision was seemingly sudden and that future scripts would likely need rewrites to accommodate for the absence.
It’s a particularly inconvenient time for the show to be plunged into rewrites to deal with a missing actor. Captain Matthew Casey was another major character on the show, central to most major plots for a decade. Actor Jesse Spencer left the One Chicago shows after the 2021 seasons, which opened up the Kelly character to more screen time. For now, though, that won’t be happening.
Will Kinney return to ‘Chicago Fire’?
Kinney’s absence is unlikely to be permanent. The actor’s previous contract ended back in Season 9, so his leave comes in toward the beginning of his re-signing. All indications are that, outside of this leave of absence, Kinney is happy on the show and in for the long haul. Fire also was renewed with a three season order around the same time, in part thanks to Kinney’s interest in returning.
With the show thrust into uncharted territory by his absence, how are the producers handling things? So far, in the best way possible. Jesse Spencer, who previously insisted that he’d rather return to One Chicago behind the camera but not in front of it, is stepping up.
E! Online reports that Spencer left the series on great terms with his co-stars and the crew. He simply wanted to focus on developing as a director and spending more time with his family after two decades on network television. The former House actor is close with Kinney, which may explain why he has decided to help out the One Chicago team in this moment of need.
The in-universe explanation for Kinney’s absence is that Kelly received a last-minute offer to join up with a temporary arson investigation program in Alabama. Stella is distraught, having her new marriage abruptly thrust into a long-distance situation. And Battalion Chief Wallace Boden is angry that his most reliable hand abruptly left the firehouse. It all makes for great drama that should pay off strongly when Kinney is ready to return — and Kelly has to face the music.
