'Chicago Fire' newcomer Rob Morgan teases further conflict with Kelly Severide after recent fallout
It's always hard to be a newcomer in a long-running series, and the situation gets more complicated when the character is at odds with a fan favorite. Rob Morgan's Battalion Chief Andre Hopkins finds himself in a similar predicament with fans of 'Chicago Fire.' Currently, his character is at loggerheads with one of the OGs, Lieutenant Kelly Severide (Taylor Kinney). After learning about Kelly's penchant for assisting the Office of Fire Investigation with arson cases without authorization from headquarters, Hopkins decided to launch an internal review. The inquiry was targeted at Severide, accusing him of 'dereliction of duty,' which blocked Kelly's hard-earned promotion, much to fans' frustration.
Morgan shared that the conflict between the duo will not be resolved anytime soon and will continue into the May 6 episode of the procedural series. “You’re going to see more of why America is pissed at Hopkins for having him go against America’s top model, Severide,” Morgan shared with TV Insider. While fans may not be enjoying the storyline and Morgan's character, the newcomer is ecstatic. Morgan likes bringing the contentious dynamic to life. “He’s a great guy,” he said. “The idea of my character is to bring fire to the firehouse, shake it up a bit. So yeah, we had good conversations and great fun shooting those scenes, trying to do what the writers wanted my character to do.”
As far as the big reveal in the previous episode is concerned, Morgan hinted that the audience will get to know more about his past with Kelly's late father, Benny Severide, in the upcoming installment. Kelly's wife, Lt. Stella Kidd (Miranda Rae Mayo), got her hands on some files revealing that Benny had filed a complaint of "conduct unbecoming" against Andre. As per Morgan, the Battalion Chief will both be impressed and flabbergasted by the fact that Stella unearthed the documents. “How could she even get her hands on things like that? That’s actually going against what he stands for, the protocol of the whole firehouse leaking out information like that,” Morgan added.
However, Morgan does not think that the relationship between Kelly and Andre is beyond repair. He believes there is a lot the latter still likes about his Lieutenant. The Battalion Chief appreciates the way his junior completes all his tasks, the "focus and dedication" with which he works, and most importantly, the deep bonds he has been able to build in the squad. Morgan believes that if his character continues to see Kelly's dedication to the team and Chicago, there is a chance he will change his mind. Morgan also gave his take on how the Battalion Chief may react to Kelly's new job offer. “Right now where I’m at, I think he’s pretty on board with the protocol of what the CFD needs to keep it safe. And right now, Severide is doing that, even though you’ll have to tune in next week to see what the ultimate decision is,” the actor shared.
The April 30 episode ended with the Chief spending some time with his daughter, who points out Kelly's astounding professional attributes to him. “I thought that was fabulous to show him having a daughter at home, involved father. I think that was a great nuance that Chicago Fire happened to slide into the script,” the actor explained. “She was giving him a realization of the quality of what his squad is doing under Severide.” The next episode of 'Chicago Fire' will air on May 6, 2026, at 9/8c and stream the next day on Peacock at 6 a.m. ET. The upcoming episodes will focus on Kelly's future in the department, amidst the investigation.
