Kinney was beaming while recalling this hilarious moment on The Tonight Show.
Chicago Fire star Taylor Kinney first crossed paths with Tonight Show host Jimmy Fallon in the most unlikely of places: while splashing in the icy waters of Lake Michigan during Chicago’s annual polar plunge. Kinney shared the memory during his March 2021 virtual appearance on The Tonight Show.
“I’ve actually met you before, but very briefly,” Kinney told Fallon, recalling their first encounter in the Windy City. “Every year — I think I’ve done it four times — we do a polar plunge, which is a charity event for the Special Olympics in Chicago… It’s gotten bigger, the crowds, but I remember you were there.”
Kinney then shared the story of how Fallon turned the already fun charity event into something incredible by diving in wearing a complete suit and tie.
Taylor Kinney was concerned after Jimmy Fallon hopped into an icy lake
“I remember you had a suit on,” Kinney laughed. “You had just a full suit, and I go, ‘How’s he gonna get out? That’s got to be like triple-times as cold.”
Leave it to the fictional firefighter to consider the waterlogged logistics of Fallon’s plan — but Fallon managed to make a successful splash despite his wardrobe choices. Fallon flashed a throwback snapshot from the polar plunge event, where the drenched-to-the-bone Tonight Show host looks freezing while hastily getting out of the lake.
No one can say Fallon didn’t commit to the bit. “My hair was frozen,” Fallon recalled. “It was spiky!”
Considering he’s been at the helm of Chicago Fire for many years, Kinney has run into several first responders around the Windy City. Later in the interview, Fallon recalled living near a NYC fire station during his time on SNL and firefighters being a “very honest bunch.” Fallon then asked Kinney if any Chicago firefighters had given feedback on the believability of Firehouse 51’s heroism.
“Do you hear from real firefighters who watch and go, ‘We would never do that, what are you doing?'” Fallon asked.
“For the most part, it was positive responses,” Kinney said, adding that when the show first premiered, there would be the occasional firefighter who would point out little quirks from the series. “[A firefighter said], ‘You’ve got this hose, you slid down this hose. How the hell are you gonna get back up?'”
Laughing, Fallon said, “This is television! We’re not really firefighters!”
“That’s what I said,” Kinney laughed. “I was like, ‘There’s a little creative license.'”
Watch the Season 14 premiere of Chicago Fire on Wednesday, October 1, at 9/8c on NBC and Peacock. Watch The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on NBC weeknights at 11:35/10:35c and the next day on Peacock.
