Taylor Kinney on Chicago Fire season premiere 1 j14

In the season premiere episode of "Chicago Fire," to air Wednesday, Jan. 17, pictured are, from left, Taylor Kinney as Kelly Severide, Daniel Kyri as Darren Ritter and Jake Lockett as Sam Carver.

 NBC

Taylor Kinney is expected to appear in the premiere episode of Season 12 of NBC’s “Chicago Fire,” set for 9 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 17.

Kinney, a Neffsville native who has portrayed Lt. Kelly Severide since “Chicago Fire” premiered in 2012, appears in the trailer for the season premieres of the Wednesday night One Chicago shows. Those include “Chicago P.D.” and “Chicago Med.”

Kinney, 42, took a leave of absence from “Chicago Fire” in January 2023, saying he was leaving to “deal with a personal matter” that he has not discussed publicly.

Kinney’s absence on the show was explained by Severide’s leaving Firehouse 51 to attend an elite arson investigation training program in Alabama. Near the end of Season 11, Stella Kidd, Severide’s wife, became concerned when she learned he had completed his training and still hadn’t returned to Firehouse 51.

Taylor Kinney on Chicago Fire premiere 2

Taylor Kinney, as Lt. Kelly Severide, makes a rescue on "Chicago Fire" in what will be the Jan. 24, 2024, episode.

In the Season 12 premiere trailer, Severide is shown kissing Kidd, played by Miranda Rae Mayo, and telling her, “I’m here. We’re in this together.” Kidd says to Severide, “I basically had to fly to Alabama, put you in handcuffs and drag you home.”

(You can see the trailer at lanc.news/ChicagoTrailer24.)

Kinney is also featured in photos NBC has released for the premiere episode, titled “Barely Gone.”

Kinney’s last appearance on the show was Season 11’s Episode 14, titled “Run Like Hell,” which aired Feb. 22, 2023.

The One Chicago shows’ season premieres were delayed by last year’s strikes by the Writers Guild of America and the actors union, SAG-AFTRA.

In a post on its “NBC Insider” blog, the network quotes “Chicago Fire” showrunner Andrea Newman’s recent interview with TVLine, saying the “Chicago Fire” season premiere will reflect a leap forward in time from last season’s finale in May 2023.

Newman says “there will be some time jump going into the premiere, and viewers and [Firehouse] 51 are in it together. There have been big changes, and the 51 gang is on a roller coaster ride throughout the episode trying to navigate all of it.”

Taylor Kinney on Chicago Fire 3 j14

Taylor Kinney, as Lt. Kelly Severide, makes a rescue on "Chicago Fire" in what will be the Jan. 24, 2024, episode. Also shown are Joe Minoso as Joe Cruz (in window) and Christian Arena as Austin.

People.com reported last month that two series regulars, Kara Killmer, who plays paramedic Sylvie Brett, and Alberto Rosende, who portrays firefighter Blake Gallo, will leave the series sometime during Season 12. Newman told TVLine there will also be a new firefighter joining Truck 81, on which Kidd is the officer in charge.

Kinney, a graduate of Lancaster Mennonite High School, has appeared in films including “The Other Woman,” “The Forest” and the Academy Award-nominated “Zero Dark Thirty.”

His other television work has included “CSI: NY,” “Shameless” and a recurring role on “The Vampire Diaries.”

In 2016, Kinney won a People’s Choice Award for favorite dramatic TV actor for his work on “Chicago Fire.”

Early in 2018, Kinney became an investor in Zoetropolis Cinema Stillhouse on Water Street. He was formerly engaged to Lady Gaga.

“Chicago Fire” airs at 9 p.m. Wednesday on NBC, and episodes are available for streaming the following day on Peacock.

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