Miranda Rae Mayo knows that fans want to see Stella and Severide (Taylor Kinney) together — but don’t hold your breath! Plus, she’s far more than just his love interest. With Chicago Fire returning after its short hiatus, fans should get ready to see Stella make a life-changing decision about her living arrangements.
“I can say that when she finally makes a decision, it causes waves with Severide in a way she didn’t anticipate,” Mayo, 27, tells Us Weekly exclusively. “It makes her see him and all that they shared together a lot differently.”
However, that doesn’t mean there’s romance in their future. It actually may mean the opposite. When asked if she could see “Stellaride” together, she surprisingly said no.
“In her mind, that ship has sailed. He views her as a friend and she does her best to respect that,” she says. Plus, she’s in a relationship with Zach that could actually be more serious than fans have seen. “He’s handsome, they laugh, he has a job in the CFD so he understands what she does and isn’t intimidated by it. All signs point to a serious relationship in her mind,” she explains. “She also loves that he is not put off by her assertive nature, he really does enjoy her for exactly who she is.”
Read the rest of Us Weekly’s interview with Mayo below, then tune in to Chicago Fire on NBC Thursdays at 10 p.m. ET.
Us Weekly: What do you love most about playing Stella?
Miranda Rae Mayo: I love her assertive brand of sexy. She is fierce, courageous and confrontational but the woman definitely has sex appeal and it’s beautiful to get to play a character where one aspect of her personality doesn’t cancel out the other.
Us: How important is it for you to be that strong firefighter … not just one that dates Severide?
MRM: Listen, it would be nice when people recognize me from the show to hear “You’re that bad ass firefighter” vs “You’re the one that gets to kiss Severide!” But you can’t control other people’s experience and what they perceive so I’m just grateful that the writers are doing more and more to expand my character so that we know more about her outside of her relationship with the Lieutenant.
Us: What can you say about the rest of the season?
MRM: Not much! There are a few fun surprises with Brettonio coming up and a lot of action for the firehouse. We do have a heart-wrenching episode where one of the firefighters gets shot and we’re not sure if they’re is going to make it. We also get to meet Severide’s mom!
