The actress plays Stella Kidd in the NBC drama
Miranda Rae Mayo has made her mark on Chicago Fire. After joining the NBC drama in 2016, the actress has become a fan favorite and one-half of the TV power couple ‘Stellaride’.
Sure, her character, Stella Kidd, lives an action-packed life at Firehouse 51, but away from the cameras, Miranda prefers to slow things down, taking time for her family, friends and the local community. Here’s what we know about the TV star…
Discovering her passion for acting
Miranda discovered her passion for acting at school. Speaking to Tell Tale TV, she said: “I remember I got cast as the Wicked Witch of the West in my sixth-grade production of The Wizard of Oz. It was pretty much a wrap after that.”
Following her high school graduation, Miranda moved to Los Angeles, where she established a modelling career, and landed her TV debut in 2011. Before joining Chicago Fire, the 34-year-old appeared in Days of Our Lives (2013-15), Pretty Little Liars (2015) and Blood & Oil (2015).
Moving to Chicago
With a long-running role in Chicago Fire, Miranda spends a great deal of time in the city. During an interview with Fangirlish, the actress shared some of her favourite spots, noting: “Most days you can find me spinning or lifting with Emily Hutchins, the owner of On Your Mark Fitness.
“There is an incredible juice and crystal shop called Infiniteus on North Ave,” she continued, “I spend a good amount of my time and money there as well.”
Health and fitness have always been important to Miranda, and she also works with The Holistic Life Foundation, an organization which educates underserved communities on mindfulness and yoga practices.
For Miranda, taking time for self-care is paramount. Asked how she likes to spend her days off, the actress replied: “Lots of music and yoga. I also just love to be with my family, and I have a ton of family. My blood family, my chosen family, my LA family, my Chicago Fire family, my spiritual family, etc.”
An open book when it comes to mental health, Miranda said that playing Stella has been extremely beneficial too. “One of the things that I love about Stella is she is courageous, not only in her profession but in her relationships,” she revealed.
“Stella has been an incredible vehicle for me to explore many different sides of myself. And being able to do that in a community with the cast I work with has affected my mental health tremendously. It has also been challenging to go through that kind of shadow work in public. I mean, there’s a lot of pressure that I have put on myself to be quote-unquote perfect.”
Love life
Miranda is extremely private when it comes to her love life. While the star has undeniable chemistry with her co-star, Taylor Kinney, the pair are just good friends.
According to several publications, Miranda was linked to her co-star, Luke Baines, after teaming up on the movie, The Girl in the Photographs, and cuddling up at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2015. Currently, Miranda appears to be single.
