Taylor Kinney returns to Chicago Fire season 12 after a hiatus

Taylor Kinney is finally returning to Firehouse 51. The 42-year-old actor, who plays Lieutenant Kelly Severide on NBC's Chicago Fire, will return in season 12 after taking a break from the famous NBC procedural earlier this year, PEOPLE has learned.
A source close to the production of Chicago Fire previously confirmed to PEOPLE in January that Kinney was leaving the show.The time off was for him to "deal with a personal matter," albeit no further details were provided at the time.

His absence from the show was partially addressed in a season 11 episode as being due to a last-minute opportunity for Severide to attend "the best arson investigation training program in the world." When Severide did not return to Chicago after the show ended, his wife, Stella Kidd (Miranda Rae Mayo), and fans were concerned.
The actor left the NBC procedural in January to deal with a personal problem. Kinney was last seen in Season 11's 14th episode, which aired in February. His character did not appear in the March 1 episode; Severide had left town to attend an arson investigation training program, seizing an opportunity too good to pass up.

While he did not return for the Season 11 finale, Jesse Spencer, who left the program in 2021, appeared as a guest. Spencer has made multiple appearances after his leave and even proposed to Sylvie Brett (Kara Killmer) at the finale, so he will most likely return again next season.
Kinney has played Severide since Chicago Fire debuted in 2012, kicking off the network's famous One Chicago franchise, which now includes spinoffs Chicago P.D. and Chicago Med.
The Chicago-based shows' showrunners and writers returned to work in early October. Following the SAG/AFTRA strike, all three shows are scheduled to return to NBC. Meanwhile, they can be viewed on Peacock.