David Caruso
The roller-coaster ride that rocketed red-haired actor David Caruso to fame and fortune on the ABC cop drama "NYPD Blue", then promptly plummeted him to the bottom where, his career in tatters, the phone absolutely refused to ring, has at least started its upwards climb again, this time with a wiser passenger aboard. By his own admission, he did not handle the transition from character actor to superstar well, throwing tantrums on the set, alienating himself from everyone involved, and exiting gracelessly after "Blue" co-creator and executive producer Stephen Bochco called his bluff and refused to meet his excessive demands. The media feeding frenzy that followed may have helped doom his ensuing features at the box office, but the unlikely heartthrob's own lack of big screen star appeal was equally to blame, spelling disaster from the start for the most publicized move from primetime television to movies in recent memory. A much humbler Caruso returned to series TV as star and executive producer of the drama series "Michael Hayes" (CBS, 1997-), in which he portrayed a former cop turned US attorney, and has revived a film career that "Kiss of Death" (1995) and "Jade" (1995) essentially killed.
David Caruso's overnight success was years in the making. The NYC native had fashioned a solid career as a supporting player in film and TV, making his big-screen debut in the silly horror pic "Without Warning" (1980) and a more auspicious small screen debut in the 1950s nostalgia movie "Crazy Times" (1981), which also starred newcomer Ray Liotta. He raised some eyebrows to his talent as the meek recruit who almost drowned in the hit movie "An Officer and a Gentleman" (1982) and as a young deputy who sees the error in Brian Dennehy's ways in "First Blood", he took his first crack at playing a cop. David Caruso first teamed with Bochco for the first three episodes of NBC's "Hill Street Blues" (1981), turning in a fine performance as a tough Irish gang leader, which prompted comparisons to James Cagney for both his edginess and carrot top. He began an association with Abel Ferrara on the pilot episode of NBC's "Crime Story" (1986) that would continue with the features "China Girl" (1987) and "The King of New York" (1990), the former as a psychopathic gangster, the latter as a sadistic Irish cop bent on dethroning Christopher Walken. It was his acclaimed portrayal of Robert De Niro's macho partner in John McNaughton's "Mad Dog and Glory" (1993) that convinced the "NYPD Blue" people to hire him as Detective John Kelly.
"Blue" put Caruso in the right place at the right time for stardom, casting him as a good guy whose marriage is on the rocks and who sustains a flickering romance with a fellow cop. Urging viewer discretion, the ground-breaking series showcased his butt first (other exposed derrieres like Dennis Franz's would follow), and the soulful, intense Caruso became an instant sex symbol and break-out star of the non-star driven new hit. Perhaps a perfectionism bred during his film career made the adjustment to the grind-it-out quality of series TV difficult, or maybe it was just the show's exhausting schedule (15-hour days requiring Caruso to give his best in the final hour) that wore on him so. After one critically revered season, from which he garnered a Golden Globe Award, the actor asked for a substantial salary increase and other concessions from Bochco, who, following a few weeks of highly publicized negotiations (and nasty personality clashes), replaced him with Jimmy Smits.
Despite some admirers for his first post-"Blue" effort, the remake of the noir classic "Kiss of Death", for which he pocketed a cool $1 million, Caruso was unable to ignite any interest in his big screen career and returned to the small screen in the guise of "Michael Hayes" (CBS, 1997), a federal prosecutor based very loosely on the early career of Rudy Giuliani. He starred opposite Marg Helgenberger in Showtime's "Elmore Leonard's 'Gold Coast'" (1997) and in "Cold Heart", which won John Ridley the Best Director Award at NYC's 1997 Urbanworld Film Festival. Later the same year, he shot "Body Count" with Linda Fiorentino and Forest Whitaker. He contined to work steadily in features, earning particularly good notices for his supporting turn in the drama "Proof of Life" (2000) opposite Rusell Crowe and Meg Ryan.
In 2002, David Caruso returned once again to network television as Horatio Caine on the CBS television series "CSI: Miami" (2002 -), the first spin-off from producer Jerry Bruckheimer's forensic franchise; the series proved to be a popular addition to the CBS line-up, and Caruso humbly took pains to demonstrate that he had learned his lesson about overinflated egos following the "NYPD Blue" debacle.
- Born:
on 01/17/56 in Forest Hills, New York
- Job Titles:
Actor, Producer, Movie usher, Liquor deliveryman, Messenger, Waiter
David Caruso Biography, yahoo.com
There are a lot of characters in CSI: Miami that fans of this television series have become accustomed to, including:
1. Lieutenant Horatio Caine is played by David Caruso. He is the Head of the Miami-Dade crime lab and also of the CSI miami cast.
2. Calleigh Duquesne is played by Emily Procter. She is a ballistics specialist who has had numerous romantic interests. Calleigh also follows the rules to the letter all of the time, except for on occasion with her father.
3. Eric Delko is played by Adam Rodriguez. He is a fingerprint and drug identification expert who has been through a lot of drama while on this television series.
4. Dr. Alexx Woods is played by Khandi Alexander. She is a medical examiner who began her medical career in New York as a doctor before becoming a medical examiner and moving to Miami. Dr. Woods is a very emotional person and had been offered the position of chief medical examiner on the night shift but turned the promotion down sine she is married and has a young son and daughter.
5. Ryan Wolfe is played by Jonathan Togo and enters into the world of CSI: Miami during season 3. He started out as a police officer when first appearing in the episode "Under the Influence." However, he finally become a regular cast member during the "Hell Night" episode. There is a lot of drama surrounding his character.
6. Detective Sergeant Frank Tripp is played by Rex Linn and enters into the world of CSI: Miami during season 5. He is a Texan homicide detective who regularly accompanies the team to the crime scenes.
7. Natalia Boa Vista was played by Eva LaRue throughout season 5 after having had a recurring role throughout season 4. She is a DNA analyst who was only allowed to work on unsolved cases at first. However, she went on to become a full investigator on the CSI: Miami investigation team.
Past Characters
The 3 CSI: Miami characters from the past who are important to mention are:
1. Megan Donner, who is Horatio's predecessor, was played by Kim Delaney in Season 1. After her husband's death she went on indefinite leave. The reason why she was written out was because of the lack of chemistry between her and Caruso (the Lieutenant who she worked closely with).
2. Tim "Speed" Speedle was played by Rory Cochrane in seasons 1 and 2. He was a trace evidence and impressions expert from Syracuse, New York. In the third season premiere, “Lost Son,” he was killed in a police shoot-out. The reason why his character was written out was because he wanted to pursue a film career.
3. Detective Yelina Salas was played by Sofia Milos in season 3 and then played a recurring role during seasons 1, 2 and 5. Through her various relationships in this television series she comes and goes over the course of time.
Recurring Characters
There are also numerous recurring characters that have been utilized in CSI: Miami as crime lab technicians, homicide detectives, family members and villains.
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