Long before he became the fearless Kelly Severide on NBC’s Chicago Fire, Taylor Kinney was just another young man trying to make ends meet in the most unglamorous way imaginable—by carrying golf bags for strangers. Today, Kinney is celebrated as one of the pillars of the One Chicago franchise, with more than a decade of heroic rescues, heart-wrenching storylines, and smoldering charisma under his belt. But his journey didn’t begin on a soundstage or inside a fictional firehouse; it started on the green, under the weight of golf clubs, patience, and frustration. Kinney has often looked back on his earliest job with a mixture of humor and disbelief, describing his stint as a golf caddy as both maddening and formative. “I carried golf clubs for older women who didn’t know how to play golf. It was frustrating,” he once admitted, his words laced with the bemusement of hindsight. And yet, in those early moments of irritation, there was a spark of resilience that would later fuel his rise to stardom.

That first job wasn’t glamorous, but it paid just enough for Kinney to carve out little pockets of joy. While many aspiring actors dream of red carpets and fame from the start, Kinney was focused on something far simpler: a medium thin-crust pizza from Pizza Hut and a Saturday night rental from Blockbuster. For a young man still figuring out his path, this was the definition of bliss—comfort food and a movie, bought with money earned through sweat, patience, and lugging around golf clubs. “Thanks, old ladies,” Kinney joked in a One Chicago video, acknowledging that those seemingly insignificant rounds of caddying funded the very things that kept him moving forward. In that sense, his first job, frustrating as it was, gave him the discipline and appreciation for small victories that would later prove vital in a career built on resilience, auditions, and the unforgiving nature of Hollywood.

Kinney’s rise from the golf course to the firehouse wasn’t instantaneous. Like many actors, he worked his way through the grind of auditions, learning to balance nerves with determination. When the opportunity to audition for Chicago Fire came along, Kinney was already in the rhythm of the industry. “My first audition for Chicago Fire, I was in the circuit of auditioning a lot,” he recalled. “So, I was decent at it. I remember never having any anxiety. I was excited about it. And then you leave it up to the powers that be.” That fearless, almost casual attitude turned out to be his secret weapon. Unlike so many who crumble under the weight of expectations, Kinney approached the role of Severide with confidence and clarity, allowing him to embody the character in a way that felt natural. The rest, as they say, is history. His fearlessness paid off, and more than a decade later, he remains the beating heart of Chicago Fire, a testament to how preparation and grit can transform even the smallest opportunities into something life-changing.

As Chicago Fire celebrates its longevity and prepares for yet another highly anticipated season, Kinney himself has reflected on just how special his journey has been. In a 2022 interview with US Weekly, he paid tribute to the man behind the One Chicago universe, Dick Wolf, acknowledging that the show’s enduring success is no accident. “It’s never lost on me how special it is to be a part of something with the longevity this has,” Kinney said. “It’s a testament to Dick Wolf and the team of people he puts together.” His gratitude underscores a humility that has followed him from his early caddy days to his role as Severide, reminding fans that beneath the uniform and the heroics is an actor who never takes his place in the spotlight for granted. His appreciation is shared by millions of viewers who have come to see him not just as Severide, but as a constant presence in their lives, week after week, year after year.

Now, as NBC prepares to launch Chicago Fire season 14 on Wednesday, October 1st, the anticipation is as fiery as ever. Fans know that Kinney’s Severide will continue to be at the center of the action, balancing personal struggles with the relentless demands of his job. Yet what makes Kinney’s story so compelling isn’t just the character he plays, but the journey he took to get there. From carrying golf clubs for women who couldn’t swing, to buying pizza and Blockbuster rentals with his modest earnings, to walking fearlessly into the audition that would change his life, Taylor Kinney’s path is one of grit, humor, and a refusal to be defined by frustration. It’s a reminder that even the most unlikely beginnings can ignite extraordinary futures. The boy who once sighed in exasperation on the golf course now commands the screen as one of television’s most enduring heroes. And as fans tune in this fall, folding laundry while Severide charges into another blaze, they’ll know that the man behind the character has been carrying weight—and turning it into strength—for far longer than Chicago Fire has been on the air.