Chicago Fire’s Miranda Rae Mayo Says Stella Will Be Bad Cop Parent

Chicago Fire’s Stella Kidd and Kelly Severide don’t have a child yet, but actress Miranda Rae Mayo already has an idea of how they’ll parent.

“I do think Stella would be the bad cop for sure,” Mayo, 34, who plays firefighter Kidd, exclusively told Us Weekly while promoting season 13 of the NBC series.

She teased, “I think Kelly presents a stoic [exterior], but he would melt whenever his offspring was asking for something of him. He’d be like, ‘Yeah, yeah, yeah. Stella just give it to him.’”

At the end of season 12 of Chicago Fire, Severide (Taylor Kinney) told Kidd he was ready to start a family, which took her by surprise.

During season 13, which premiered in September 2024, Kidd revealed that she wants to be a mom and proposed going the adoption route since her aunt basically adopted and raised her as a kid.

“Stella is in love with Kelly. I don’t think she ever was a woman who wanted to be married. I don’t think she ever envisioned that type of, you know, wife and kids type of life for herself,” Mayo told Us, noting that Kidd’s relationship with Severide is what swayed her to change her tune.

The actress explained, “She met this man and fell in love with this man and was like, ‘Hey, wherever you’re going, I’m going.’ We’re doing it together.”

While Mayo noted that Severide brought up the idea of expanding their family “much sooner” than Kidd was initially ready for, they have since gotten on the same page.

During season 13, episode 15, which aired on March 5, Kidd and Severide met with an adoption agency and, after a few hiccups at Firehouse 51, they were approved. It’s unclear whether the couple will become parents this season but, until then, Mayo told Us she’s enjoying the ride acting alongside Kinney, 43.

“I love working with him. My experience of working with Taylor is he’s a very present person,” Mayo revealed. “When we’re doing [a scene], I think neither one of us ever really knows what’s gonna happen.”

She said after 10 seasons together they have “a lot of fun.” (Mayo joined Chicago Fire during season 4 in 2016, while Kinney has been part of the series since its 2012 premiere.)

Mayo added, “Sometimes it just works. I feel really lucky to be in this duo with him and I’m really grateful that it works and that it continues to work.”

Chicago Fire returns with new episodes on NBC Wednesday, March 26, at 9 p.m. ET.