Taylor Kinney

Actor

Birth Date: July 15, 1981

Age: 43 years old

Birth Place: Lancaster, Pennsylvania

Partners: Lady Gaga

Whether he is playing an inexperienced EMT or a supernatural creature, Taylor Kinney has infused an "Old Hollywood" leading man sensibility and unabashed masculinity into each role. With his brooding good looks and undeniable sex appeal, Kinney mesmerized viewers as the mysterious werewolf come-to-town, Mason Lockwood, on The CW's hit series "The Vampire Diaries" (2009-17). While he was killed off after only a handful of episodes, such was his appeal that he made a lasting impact with viewers. He even caught the eye of one of the world's most famous women, singer-songwriter Lady Gaga, whom Kinney began dating in 2011 after co-starring in her sexy music video "You and I" (2011).

The actor's career took off in 2012 when he was cast as a Navy SEAL in "Zero Dark Thirty," Katherine Bigelow's award-winning and controversial film about the hunt for Osama bin Laden. That same year, Kinney finally landed one of the lead roles on the NBC drama "Chicago Fire" (2012- ), a physically and emotionally demanding role that further showcased his immense talent and likeability, and opened doors for more high-profile and exciting projects.

Taylor Kinney was born on July 15, 1981 in Lancaster, PA. His mother, a dental hygienist, raised the future star and his three brothers in the suburban community of Neffsville. Kinney graduated in 2000 from Lancaster Mennonite High School before enrolling at West Virginia University to study business management. He left college during his junior year and moved to Hawaii, where he worked as a carpenter. He made the leap into acting and landed his first major role on the short-lived American telenovela "Fashion House" (MyNetworkTV, 2006) opposite Bo Derek and Morgan Fairchild, before he was cast as an ambitious young artist who also happens to be Derek's son. The following year, Kinney made his film acting debut in "White Air" (2007), an action-sports drama set in the world of competitive snowboarding that starred Dominique Swain and Tom Sizemore.

In 2009, Kinney was cast as one of the leads on the medical drama "Trauma" (NBC, 2009-2010) as a rookie EMT. Despite an ensemble of talented up-and-comers, the show was cancelled after one season. Kinney bounced back in a big way with a recurring role on the hit supernatural drama "The Vampire Diaries," joining the cast during season two as Mason Lockwood, a former resident of Mystic Falls who returns home after being gone for seven years to deal with his brother's death. It was later revealed that Mason was a werewolf with superhuman strength. The character was eventually killed by resident bad boy vamp, Damon Salvatore (Ian Somerhalder), but briefly returned for the third season as a ghost out for redemption. His appearance on "The Vampire Diaries" led to a number of opportunities for the handsome and charming actor, including a guest role on the dysfunctional family series "Shameless" (Showtime, 2011- ) as a love interest for Emmy Rossum's misunderstood Fiona. In real life, Kinney was linked to pop star Lady Gaga, whom he began dating in 2011 after meeting on the set of the "You and I" music video. (The couple announced their engagement on Valentine's Day 2015.)

After several years as a supporting player, Kinney landed a starring role in 2012 on "Chicago Fire," a drama series that followed the lives of Windy City firefighters and paramedics. Kinney played Lieutenant Kelly Severide, a strong and flirtatious firefighter opposite Jesse Spencer's more reserved and commanding Lieutenant Matthew Casey. That same year, Kinney also appeared on the big screen in Kathryn Bigelow's acclaimed war drama "Zero Dark Thirty" as one of the Navy SEALS who took down Osama bin Laden.

By Candy Cuenco