Chicago Fire: Taylor Kinney to Take a Leave of Absence
The hits just keep on coming in the One Chicago Universe. Luckily, the latest one seems temporary. Taylor Kinney is reportedly taking a leave of absence during Chicago Fire Season 11, according to Deadline.
Kinney is said to be taking leave in order to deal with a personal matter. The news was delivered to the cast and crew early in the day on January 20th, and it will mean scripts that have already been written will likely need to be adjusted to reflect the absence of his character, Squad 3 Lt. Kelly Severide.
The news was sudden, and there are no other details at this time — including just how long he’ll be gone.
This isn’t the first time a character has needed to be written out temporarily. Miranda Rae Mayo’s character, Stella Kidd, was absent for several episodes during Chicago Fire Season 10.
The news of Kinney’s temporary departure does sting a little more considering the show recently lost another key original character in Jesse Spencer, who played the role of Matt Casey. Spencer did return at the end of last season for Kelly and Stella’s wedding.
Firehouse 51 will feel a little emptier without Severide running Squad, though this may be a good opportunity for other members of the crew to step up.
There are certainly plenty of ways that Kelly Severide’s absence could be explained on the series, and the timing seems good since Chicago Fire is currently taking a brief hiatus. The next episode will air on February 8th.
How do you feel about the news, and how do you think the writers will address Severide’s absence? Let us know what you think in the comments below!
Chicago Fire returns Wednesday, February 8th at 9/8c on NBC.
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Ashley Bissette Sumerel
Ashley Bissette Sumerel is a television and film critic living in Wilmington, North Carolina. She is editor-in-chief of Tell-Tale TV as well as Eulalie Magazine. Ashley has also written for outlets such as Rolling Stone, Paste Magazine, and Insider. Ashley has been a member of the Critics Choice Association since 2017 and is a Rotten Tomatoes-approved critic. In addition to her work as an editor and critic, Ashley teaches Entertainment Journalism, Composition, and Literature at the University of North Carolina Wilmington.
One thought on “Chicago Fire: Taylor Kinney to Take a Leave of Absence”
How long will Severide be gone, and will Matt Casey be coming back as-well-as Gabby. Not impressed with these changes.
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