Kara Killmer will depart from "Chicago Fire" in its 12th season.
The 35-year-old actress, known for her portrayal of paramedic Sylvie Brett, joined the intense NBC drama in its third season back in 2014. Over the years, she has appeared in over 190 episodes.
While specifics about her exit's timing and circumstances are not yet public, the last scenes involving her character showed her love interest, Matthew Casey (Jesse Spencer), proposing on bended knee. With Casey residing in Oregon, it's speculated that her character might move there.
Following the announcement, Killmer took to Instagram to share a series of images reflecting on her journey from the beginning of her stint in Chicago. She reminisced about her first experiences with the Chicago Fire Department, one of the country's finest, and her initial love for the city, sparked by the view from her first apartment.
In the carousel post, Killmer included pictures of her being hoisted in a crane, behind-the-scenes moments, on-camera highlights, and her residence in Chicago.
While Killmer is set to leave Firehouse 51, Taylor Kinney is confirmed to return in Season 12 after a temporary break from the show. Earlier in the year, Kinney, 42, portraying Lt. Kelly Severide, took a leave for personal reasons, as reported in January.
Severide's absence was partially explained in the show, attributing it to his participation in a premier arson investigation training program. However, the extended absence of his character raised concerns among the viewers and his on-screen wife, Stella Kidd (Miranda Rae Mayo).
The entire "Chicago" franchise — including "Chicago Fire," "Chicago Med" and "Chicago P.D." — was able to resume production in late November and will premiere new seasons on Jan. 17.
Let's get to know Killmer as she gears up for the next stage of her career.
Kara Killmer's Career
Kara Killmer as Sylvie Brett in "Chicago Fire." (Photo by: Parrish Lewis/NBC)
Kara Killmer began her acting career on stage and made her first television appearance in 2010 in Simon Fuller's Hulu series "If I Can Dream." This reality show, set in a Hollywood house with 56 AXIS cameras, followed aspiring performers living together. At 21, Killmer received acting lessons from John Kirby and participated in various activities, including the Pepsi Refresh Project. However, Hulu did not renew "If I Can Dream" after its 32-episode first season.
In 2011, Killmer played Rapunzel in the series "Scary Tales" on the Discovery Channel, featuring Judy Geeson, Paul B. Thompson and Donald Haase. The following year, she appeared in ABC Family's "Jane by Design" as a character known as the blond girl in the episode "The Image Issue."
Killmer's film career includes two shorts in 2012, "Remnant" and "Prank." "Remnant" was directed by Dawn A. Gregg and Shari Rigby; and "Prank," a story of a high school prank gone wrong, was directed by Robert Mearns. In 2013, she starred in an episode of the web series "Rosa the Imposer" and the TV movie "Horizon," working alongside Cary Elwes and Ruth Bradley.
Her entry into the Chicago franchise took place in 2014, debuting in "Chicago Fire" on NBC and quickly appearing in "Chicago P.D." As paramedic Sylvie Brett, she replaced the late Leslie Elizabeth Shay (Lauren German) in Ambulance 61, partnering with Emily Foster (Annie Ilonzeh). Since 2015, Killmer has also appeared in "Chicago Med"; and in 2017, she featured in an episode of "Chicago Justice."
In 2015, she co-starred with Andrew Cheney, John Rhys-Davies, and Alan Madlane in Chad Burns' film "Beyond the Mask," a story set during the American Revolutionary War. Killmer played Charlotte Holloway, the female lead in this narrative about a former assassin seeking redemption.
Killmer also made a guest appearance as a receptionist in the 2017 web series "Special Skills" and played the lead role of Jennifer Jones in the 2018 Philippe Gagnon mystery-thriller "Sleeper," in which her character discovers that her husband is a Russian spy.
Kara Killmer's Personal Life
Photo by Paul Archuleta/FilmMagic via Getty Images
Killmer, hailing from Crowley, Texas, comes from a family deeply engaged in the arts, with an older brother and sister, and a mother who worked as a music teacher at an elementary school. Her childhood was filled with participation in local theater productions, a practice initiated by her mother. This early exposure to acting ignited a passion in her that continued to grow over the years, strongly supported by her mother, who encouraged her love for performance from a young age.
During her high school years, Killmer demonstrated leadership skills as the captain of her drill team. She further pursued her passion for the arts at Baylor University in Waco, Texas, where she honed her craft and earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in performing arts in 2010. Her time at Baylor included a notable performance in the university's stage production of "Eurydice" in 2008.
Kara married actor Andrew Cheney on May 14, 2016. The couple first met on Aug. 27, 2012, on the set of "Beyond the Mask," in which they both starred.
