David Caruso Was Among TV’s Most Well-Known Actors, But Then He Vanished From The Spotlight

Caruso was after all a huge star, and he was well known even to those who didn’t watch the series. That was thanks to the many memes based on his signature move with those sunglasses. This was a move Caruso pulled off in 232 episodes of the show!

The redheaded superstar had previously starred in NYPD Blue. It was something of a warm-up for CSI: Miami, since he played a police detective in it. That earned him a Golden Globe, and this wouldn’t be the only award he won in a career that has seen him in numerous other roles.

But CSI: Miami reached the end of its run in 2012, and since then there’s been no sign of Caruso. Not only has he not acted in anything, but he’s also been absent from behind-the-scenes credits. So there hasn’t been the sniff of new work of any kind since CSI: Miami came to a close.

Caruso got into the movie industry from a young age — while he was growing up with his mom in Queens, New York. He got a job in a cinema, you see, and was able to soak up scores of films each week. This certainly inspired a desire to act. And both he and his colleagues could often be found out the back of the auditorium, performing some of the stuff they’d seen on the big screen.

It’s not surprising Caruso wasted little time getting into the movies, first showing up in a bit part in the 1980s Getting Wasted. He graduated to bigger parts in films such as An Officer and a Gentleman and First Blood. But it was television that would prove his most fertile ground.

The first part in which Caruso caught the eye came in Hill Street Blues, another police show. From there, a role as an Olympian beckoned in miniseries The First Olympics: Athens 1896. Other small bits and pieces filled out the 1980s for him, but there was little hint of his future superstardom.

The redhead’s career continued to grow in the 1990s, albeit slowly, with the first signs that he would play a type. He was yet again cast as a policeman in movies such as Mad Dog and Glory and Kings of New York. Perhaps displaying that he did have more range, he also appeared in Hudson Hawk as a mute man.

In 1993 everything changed for Caruso. He scored his big break in NYPD Blue. The show was a huge hit with both the critics and the viewing public. The actor himself gained plenty of praise as well, scoring a nomination for an Emmy. But it didn’t last. Caruso started looking for the exit door after a year.

Arguably, Caruso wasn’t the main reason for NYPD Blue’s success. The producer, Steven Bochco, was already well known for his work in the law and order genre, having made L.A. Law and Hill Street Blues. And the show gained attention for its edgy presentation, with flesh on display and a liberal sprinkling of cuss-words.

In fact, Caruso only made 26 episodes of NYPD Blue, out of more than 250 shows that were filmed. But he didn’t feel that the $42,500 he received for each one was enough, and for season two he wanted six figures. He also wanted a big trailer and a host of other perks. The producers wouldn’t play ball, though.

So Caruso left to make his name in films, but he wasn’t successful. He starred in two movies in 1995, Jade and Kiss of Death. Despite him coming from a hot TV show, though, the luster didn’t transfer. Both were massive flops at the box office, and to top it off, the critics didn’t care for them either.

A couple of years later Caruso came back to the small screen. This time he played a lawyer in Michael Hayes. But if the producers hoped that his name would lure in the viewing public, they were wrong. The numbers for the show were disappointing, and Caruso’s flame seemed if not to be extinguished, then at least to be burning low.

Caruso felt that the viewers had turned their backs on him for going on a star trip. They felt he’d binned NYPD Blue to chase big-screen kudos. So even though the critics gave him good press for Michael Hayes, the audience just wasn’t there. And it’d be another half-decade before he’d have a major role on TV again.

Then in 2002 the hit show CSI chose Florida as the setting for a spinoff, and Caruso would star. He had misgivings thanks to his earlier flop, though. “Frankly, I don’t know if people will ever feel comfortable with me again,” Caruso told the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. “Michael Hayes was a way of trying to win them back. It was me saying, ‘Look I have no problem with TV or the format.’”

In the interim, Caruso had tried again to grab some elusive gold in the big-screen world, and at least as far as the reviews went, he’d had more success. His 2000 supporting role in Proof of Life gained critical acclaim. And when he took the lead in horror Session 9 in the next year, his work was again well received.

But good reviews do not guarantee tushes on seats, of course, and audiences again largely shunned Caruso’s films. Proof of Life lost money at the box office, while Session 9 barely sold a ticket, though it would later gain a cult following. So Caruso’s return to the small screen represented something of a trip to the last-chance saloon. Certainly, it seemed that he couldn’t draw a crowd in the movies.

But if Caruso was at a low ebb in 2002, that would all soon change. The role of Lieutenant Horatio Caine became his signature part. CSI: Miami would run for ten successful years. On top of that, the Caine character showed up in several other spinoffs. So it’s fair to say that in 2012, Caruso was a fixture on TV.

The show was a huge smash with viewers, just as the original CSI had been. And as its central character, Caruso soon recognized that he had tremendous value. So his contracts got bigger and bigger until, at his peak, he was raking in $375,000 for each show. Only two other actors in dramas earned more.

While all this had been going on in his acting career, Caruso had enjoyed equally mixed fortunes in his love life. He’d been married even before his debut screen appearance. But after divorcing his first wife in 1984, later the same year he tied the knot with Rachel Ticotin, an actress. They had a daughter together before splitting in 1987. Then he was in a long-term relationship with Liza Marquez, with whom he had a couple more children prior to them breaking up in 2007.

The split from Marquez wasn’t amicable, though. Caruso found himself in court, and Marquez had some unpleasant things to relate in her pleadings. She alleged that Caruso was abusive towards her and was a distant parent. She also claimed that he’d promised to pay her more than a million bucks and give her a house. He in turn refuted her allegations strenuously.

But Caruso’s relationship troubles aren’t a reason for his screen career ending. People have been accused of worse and still gotten hired. So what happened? Well, one possibility is that nobody was willing to cough up the cash that he’d cost. After all, his wage for CSI: Miami was huge – backed by the show’s success, of course.

Shows as big as CSI: Miami are a rarity, though, and even more so in today’s fractured television market. Even the biggest series on the networks don’t get the ratings they once did. And Caruso would represent a gamble: he’d had mixed outcomes from his previous shows, and it’s fair to say his name alone didn’t guarantee an audience.

On the other hand, Caruso wasn’t alone in making the big bucks in TV. Across the CSI franchise, others made plenty, too. Marg Helgenberger was taking home the same payment for each episode of the parent show, while her co-star Laurence Fishburne made only slightly less. So there was nothing really extraordinary about his demands.

But even if producers felt they could afford Caruso, there’s still the issue of him being typecast. He’d been seen in law and order roles almost exclusively. And for the past decade, he’d been Horatio Caine. So would viewers accept him as a new character? Or perhaps he just didn’t want to play yet another cop.

On top of that, there’s been talk about what it’s like to be around Caruso. And it hasn’t all been positive. He’s been described as a difficult colleague — particularly by star producer Bochco and NYPD Blue’s creative force David Milch. Both have been less than complimentary about the redheaded actor.

Bochco was scathing in his memoir, claiming that Caruso looked unhappy during filming. He even suggested that the star did so purposely. The producer also stated that when “[I’d] call Caruso into my office for a conversation about his problems, he’d shut down like a sullen teenager.”

And it wasn’t just the producer who had problems with the star, or so Bochco claimed. “He was emotionally unavailable to everyone, and he was volatile, moody or sullen, depending on the day,” Bochco wrote. “Most people don’t function well in a dysfunctional environment, but Caruso loved it because he was the source of all the discontent, and it empowered him.”

Milch wasn’t much kinder. He recalled Caruso being uncomplimentary about his scripts. And according to Milch, it was so stressful trying to work with Caruso that he came close to dying. Milch told IFC’s Dinner for Five, “I’m on the set with him, and he’s making me go through the scene, and I think, hmph. I’m having a heart attack.”

Caruso’s combative nature has found another outlet as well, and this may have kept him busy. In the late 1990s he purchased a Miami Beach apartment. And from 2011 onwards, he’s been battling the taxman over property levies. Sometimes, he’s managed to get the taxes cut and sometimes not, but reportedly Caruso keeps on fighting.

But this doesn’t seem to be the reason for Caruso’s absence from our screens. Even though he’s made no public announcement, the simple answer seems to be that he’s retired. While there’s been talk that Caruso’s one of the people whom producers could turn to if they need to fill a spot in a series, he’s never been firmly linked with one.

Opinions remain varied on whether Caruso could carry a show if asked to, though. The St. Petersburg Times media critic Eric Deggans thinks so. He told Esquire magazine in 2009, “The serious answer is: there are surprisingly few actors who have a charisma that viewers want to see. David Caruso has that. It was a humbling experience for him to go into movies and find it did not translate. But on television, people like to watch him.”

Someone who disagreed was Andy Dehnart. The chief at television news website Reality Blurred said, “I think it’s because he’s so terrifically bad that he’s really awesome to watch. He is so absurdly bad that you can’t possibly believe he’s on television – that he’s on a top-rated show. It’s just all the more train-wrecky.”

But the Miami Herald’s TV writer Glenn Garvin sided with Team Caruso. “I’m in a minority on this,” he admitted. “And I acknowledge that it flies in the face of all recent evidence. But I think David Caruso is a talented actor.” It seems, though, that we’ll see no more of that talent.

For a while, Caruso focused on his art business. He had a gallery, which he’d opened at a site in Westlake Village, a suburb of Los Angeles, a long way from Florida but near enough to Hollywood. The gallery trailed itself as featuring his very own pieces, for which there’s apparently a global demand.

The gallery also featured other artists, providing a space they could use to showcase their works. An example is Cole Sternberg, an L.A. creator who staged an exhibition at Caruso Art called “Strip Mall, Shopping Center, Outlet Mall, Mall of America” in 2012. Caruso worked with Sternberg again in Miami at Art Basel.

The art business wasn’t for Caruso long-term, though. The gallery stopped trading, and Caruso himself gave up on the industry. We can’t say whether the actor has any remaining interest in art, but if he does, he’s keeping it very hush-hush, just like every other aspect of his life these days.

The star had previously owned a clothing shop in Miami, which went by the name of Steam on Sunset. But that store also closed. Mind you, Caruso probably doesn’t need the money. With the dollars that rolled in from CSI: Miami, the star has plenty. He’s thought to be worth somewhere in the region of $35 million.

Alongside Caruso’s Miami condo, he also has a spread in Sherman Oaks, California. His home there is nestled among those of other celebs. The property set him back nearly $2 million. But it remains unclear whether the actor lives there or in Miami or in some other place.

So Caruso remains a deeply private individual. And it seems that he truly has retired. There’s not the least whisper that he’s involved in anything or that he works, except for a piece of fake news that alleged he had a “9 to 5.” Fact-checker Snopes took a look at that claim, though, and it declared it false. But taking a look at his other CSI cast members, it seems that their trajectories are equally surprising.

CSI producers achieved quite the coup when they persuaded Patricia Arquette to sign up for the Cyber spinoff in 2015. That very same year she picked up a Best Supporting Actress Oscar for Boyhood. Sadly, though, Arquette’s awards success couldn’t prevent the show from getting the chop in 2016. But her own career’s gone from strength to strength thanks to roles in Escape at Dannemora, The Act and Severance as well as a voice part in Toy Story 4.

For a certain generation, James Van Der Beek’ll always be mopey wannabe filmmaker Dawson Leery. Of course, the actor’s worked non-stop since Dawson’s Creek ended and in 2015 added CSI: Cyber to his resume with the role of Elijah Mundo. Following a year of crime investigating, Van Der Beek portrayed the titular DJ in What Would Diplo Do? He also showed up in hit show Pose, graced films Bad Hair and Downsizing and voiced Boris in animation Vampirina.

Charley Koontz was one of five actors who appeared in all 31 episodes of the shortest-lived CSI spin-off, Cyber. After bidding farewell to his character Daniel Krumitz, he’s guested on This Is Us and The Boys. He’s also appeared in the low-budget projects Captain Black and Hollywood Fringe and co-starred in short film Eat Your Heart Out.

Lauren Lee Smith played Riley Adams for 22 episodes of CSI in the late 2000s. And she remained a regular on network procedurals following her departure. The actress shared top billing in The Listener and took center stage as the titular detective in Frankie Drake Mysteries. Smith also appeared in the supporting role of Elaine in the Oscar winner The Shape of Water.

The name Shad Moss might not mean much. But chances are you’re more familiar with his rapper alter ego, Bow Wow. After his ever-present stint as Brody Nelson on CSI: Cyber, the multi-talented star dropped several new tracks, appeared in TV movie In Broad Daylight and was cast as Twinkie in the ninth instalment of Fast and Furious. But Moss’ most memorable appearance has surely been as finalist Frog on The Masked Singer.

You’d need to have watched the early seasons of CSI to remember Skip O’Brien’s stint in the franchise. The actor played Detective Ray O’Riley from its opening episode until 2003. O’Brien went on to guest on several other hit shows including ER, Cold Case and Without a Trace. And he played another law enforcer in the remake of The Hitcher. Sadly, though, O’Brien passed away in 2011 at the age of 60.

Paula Francis’ filmography’s rather slim, with the remake of Fright Night her only other credit outside the CSI franchise. That’s because she’s not really an actress at all. Yes, Francis was a news anchor in real life, too, spending 28 years at KLAS-TV in Las Vegas before retiring in 2016. She now serves as a board member of the news organization The Nevada Independent.

Gerald McCullouch intermittently appeared throughout every single CSI season of the 2000s as Bobby Dawson. The actor went on to join another very different franchise, the campy LGBT film series BearCity. He also played the leading man in Daddy, guested on FBI, Messiah and The Haves and the Have Nots and appeared in a music video for rapper Wale.

Sheeri Rappaport added a bit of bite to CSI as sharp-tongued Mandy Webster, one of the unit’s lab technicians. During her 12-year stint on the show, the actress also appeared in The United States of Leland, NYPD Blue and The Drew Carey Show. But since leaving the series in 2012, Rappaport appears to have flown completely off the radar. She actually hasn’t added a single other screen credit to her resume.

Larry Sullivan’s been quite the workaholic since waving goodbye to his Officer Andy Akers character in CSI in 2014. He’s enjoyed recurring roles in acclaimed TV dramas Big Little Lies and Netflix original Trinkets and guested on everything from Scandal and Shooter to Good Trouble and Jane the Virgin. Sullivan also played a reporter in N.W.A. biopic Straight Outta Compton.

After ten years of playing Detective Vartann in the original CSI, Alex Carter showed up in numerous TV movies including House of Versace and The Secret Sex Life of a Single Mom. He also made one-off appearances in countless other shows such as Blue Bloods, The X-Files and NCIS. And then in 2018 Carter landed the recurring role of David Hanley in Burden of Truth.

Joseph Patrick Kelly graced Crime Scene Investigation every year as Officer Joe Kelly with the exception of 2014. When he wasn’t needed on the forensic science drama, the actor busied himself guesting on other procedurals such as Justice, House and The Bridge. But like fellow CSI regular Sheeri Rappaport, Kelly appears to have given up the screen-acting game since the long-running show wrapped up.

After 52 episodes of forensic science work as CSI’s Sofia Curtis, Louise Lombard seemed to want a little escapism. She landed recurring roles on sci-fi romance Star-Crossed and supernatural drama Grimm. Lombard later starred opposite Dougie Henshall in ghostly horror The Small Hand and graced the big screen in young adult tale After We Collided.

Laurence Fishburne’s one of several star names the original CSI managed to attract during its 15-year run. After his three-season stint as Raymond Langston ended in 2011, the Academy Award nominee appeared in box office hits Contagion, Man of Steel and Ride Along. Fishburne also portrayed Nelson Mandela in Madiba, narrated the miniseries Year Million and bagged recurring roles in Black-ish, Bronzeville and Hannibal.

There was only one year, 2003, in which Marc Vann didn’t pop up at least once in the CSI franchise as Conrad Ecklie. The actor also reprised his character in the TV movie, Immortality, that helped to wrap the main show up. Since then, though, things have gone a little quiet. Vann’s only other screen credit’s been a guest spot on mockumentary Adoptable.

Another CSI star with an Oscar nod to her name, Leaving Las Vegas actress Elisabeth Shue joined the main unit for its last three seasons as Julie Finlay. Since then she’s added movies Death Wish, Greyhound and Battle of the Sexes to her resume. Shue’s also bagged recurring roles in The Boys as Madelyn Stillwell and Cobra Kai as Ali Mills. The latter character, of course, was the same one she played in The Karate Kid back in 1984.

Liz Vassey played Wendy Simms for five years before leaving the Crime Scene Investigation world behind in 2010. She’s certainly not been short of work since then. The actress landed recurring roles in no fewer than half a dozen shows including 9ine, Riley Parra and The Tick. And in 2012 Vassey also shared leading lady duties in crime thriller Last Hours in Suburbia.

Possibly the biggest star-signing in Crime Scene Investigation’s history, Ted Danson portrayed D.B. Russell in its final four seasons. He graced its Cyber spinoff for 18 episodes, too. Danson’s career has continued to flourish in its golden years. The actor often stole the show as Michael in The Good Place and in 2021 landed his own star vehicle, Mr. Mayor. Danson’s also played himself in Curb Your Enthusiasm and voiced Dr. Ray Petit in American Dad.

Elisabeth Harnois has established herself in the TV-movie world since bidding farewell to her CSI character Morgan Brody in 2015. My Baby is Gone!, Twisted and The Christmas Contract are just a few of the small-screen films she’s appeared in. And in 2019 Harnois returned to the big screen with a role in human-trafficking drama Skin in the Game.

You mightn’t know that the man who played CSI’s Officer Mitchell also had a behind-the-scenes role on the hit franchise. Yes, Larry Mitchell served as the show’s technical consultant for 11 years, too. The multi-talented star then took on a similar role for a 2018 episode of the acclaimed crime drama Snowfall.

Archie Kao first showed up on CSI as a security officer in 2001. But you’ll know him best for his 99-episode stint as surveillance expert Archie Johnson. After leaving the franchise in 2012, Kao joined another crime-fighting show, Chicago, P.D., as Sheldon Jin and appeared in the movies The People I’ve Slept With and Blackhat. The actor’s also added several Far East productions to his resume including Nothing Gold Can Stay and My Dear Boy.

Like Kao, Jon Wellner also played an entirely different character on his CSI debut to the one he subsequently became famous for. The actor first showed up as a suspect named Sam Tracy before assuming the role of lab technician Henry Andrews. Wellner took a six-year break from the screen after Crime Scene Investigation ended, returning in 2021 with a guest spot on Shameless.

One of CSI: Miami’s key players, Eva LaRue spent seven seasons playing Natalia Boa Vista. Of course, the actress was no stranger to long-running roles. Her stint as Dr. Maria Santos in All My Children spanned nearly two decades! LaRue returned to the soap opera world in 2019 when she was cast as Celeste in The Young and the Restless. A year later she appeared in the short-form romantic series Finding Love in Quarantine.

After portraying intelligent but sullen investigator Warrick Brown for eight years on CSI, Gary Dourdan bagged recurring roles in Mistresses, Being Mary Jane and First Wives Club. He also appeared in the movies The Last Letter, Redemption Day and Righteous Villains. Dourdan’s continued to embrace his love of music, too, and in 2018 got to showcase his singing talents on screen in All She Wrote.

As well as playing Dr. Gil Grissom for nearly 200 episodes of the original CSI, William Petersen also served as a producer for nearly the show’s entire run. After leaving the world of forensic science behind, the actor portrayed Colonel Emmett Darrow in war drama Manhattan. But you can’t keep a Crime Scene Investigation veteran away for too long. In 2021 Petersen returned to his most familiar role in the reboot subtitled Vegas.

Like three of his co-stars, Eddie Cahill appeared in each and every one of CSI: NY’s 197 episodes. After leaving his Don Flack character behind, the actor bagged recurring roles in Under the Dome, Conviction and NCIS: New Orleans. You may also have seen Cahill pop up in Hawaii Five-0 and L.A.’s Finest.

TV’s second most famous Sheldon was played by Hill Harper, an actor who since helping to wrap up CSI: NY hasn’t stopped working. Covert Affairs, The Good Doctor and Homeland are just a few of the hit shows the actor graced in the mid-2010s. Harper’s also appeared on the big screen in the likes of Concussion, All Eyez on Me and The Sun Is Also a Star.

Carmine Giovinazzo holds quite the distinction in the CSI universe. He’s among the select group of actors to appear in the original plus the Miami and NY spinoffs. Of course, it was the latter where he made his name in the franchise as Danny Messer. After 197 episodes playing detective, Giovinazzo upgraded to lieutenant in Graceland and guested on Criminal Minds, Chicago Med and Batwoman. In 2018 he took center stage in crime drama Duke.

Gary Sinise was another impressive name that Crime Scene Investigation producers managed to attract for one of its spinoffs. The Forrest Gump star fronted CSI: NY throughout its nine-year run. Once the show finished, Sinise joined another hit procedural, Criminal Minds, as Jack Garrett and was later cast in teen drama 13 Reasons Why. On the big screen, he’s appeared in I Still Believe and Good Joe Bell.

Adam Rodriguez has certainly been in demand since bidding farewell to the CSI: Miami series he spent 12 years playing Eric Delko in. He’s bagged recurring roles in Reckless, The Night Shift and Empire just to name a few of his TV roles. Rodriguez has also appeared in both Magic Mike films, voiced a detective in The Incredibles 2 and starred in TV movie A Christmas Proposal.

Wallace Langham’s been one of the busiest former Crime Scene Investigation fixtures since the show ended in 2015. The man best-known for playing lab worker David Hodges has racked up more than three dozen screen credits in that period! Langham’s appeared on the big screen in War Dogs, LBJ and Ford v Ferrari and on the small screen in Heathers, For All Mankind and Mom. He’ll also reprise his CSI role for the Vegas reboot.

You mightn’t know that Emily Procter used to be a real-life crime reporter before playing CSI: Miami’s very fictional assistant supervisor Calleigh Duquesne for ten years. The actress later popped up on White Collar and in 2016 took top billing in romantic drama Love Everlasting. Procter’s only other credit since has been Narrator of Stage Directions on a filmed stage version of a West Wing episode that coincided with the 2020 presidential election.

Marg Helgenberger played Catherine Willows, CSI’s night-shift supervisor, for 13 years before joining the cast of one-season wonder Intelligence. Following a brief return to the franchise for 2015 TV movie Immortality, she bagged the role of Christine Price in Stephen King adaptation Under the Dome. Helgenberger later showed up in tear-jerking movie A Dog’s Journey and in 2019 was cast as Lisa Benner in legal drama All Rise.

One of CSI’s most familiar faces, David Berman appeared as Super Dave, aka assistant coroner David Phillips, for nearly 300 episodes of the hit franchise. The actor must’ve enjoyed pretending to work in the medical field, as he later played doctors in both The Blacklist and Rebel in the Rye. Berman’s also shown up as a receptionist in Proven Innocent and “TV Writer Ghoulie” in Daybreak.

Jorja Fox was pretty much an ever-present for the first eight seasons of CSI as investigator Sara Sidle. And after a further three years of intermittent appearances, the actress became a cast regular again in 2011. In more recent years Fox has focused on the movie world with roles in 3022 and The Map of Tiny Perfect Things. But she’s one of many Crime Scene Investigation favorites who’ll be returning for its Vegas-based revival, too.

Paul Guilfoyle couldn’t have asked for a better first post-CSI movie to work on. The man best-known as Captain Jim Brass enjoyed a supporting role in the Best Picture Academy Award winner Spotlight. Since then he’s bagged recurring parts in Colony, The Good Fight and Star Trek: Discovery. Guilfoyle also took top billing as the owner of a café in 2019 indie dramedy Turnover.

Robert David Hall’s been one of the most high-profile actors with a disability for 20 years now. The star, who lost both his legs in an automobile accident in the late 1970s, was only supposed to appear on CSI as coroner Al Robbins for a single episode. But he ended up staying for a whopping 327! Hall’s continued to fight for more disabled representation on screen. And he’s also added the curiously titled susaneLand and Aaah! Roach! to his filmography.

Having played Greg Sanders, one of CSI’s many forensic investigators, for 15 seasons, Eric Szmanda took a well-earned break from the screen in 2015. He eventually returned three years later with a starring role in creature feature Shangri-La: Near Extinction. Szmanda then got to work alongside the likes of Mickey Rourke and Lou Diamond Phillips in crime thriller Adverse.

But the undisputed daddy of the CSI franchise is undoubtedly George Eads. The actor appeared in all but one of the original’s 336 episodes as Nick Stokes. After hanging up his forensic investigator’s boots, Eads enjoyed another long-running stint on MacGyver as Jack Dalton and also played a coach on generation-spanning drama This Is Us. In 2019 he starred alongside Megan Fox in war tale The Battle of Jangsari.