David Stephen Caruso (born January 7, 1956) is an American actor and producer best known for his roles in television crime dramas.
Early Life
Caruso was born in Forest Hills Gardens, Queens, New York,[1] the son of Joan, a librarian, and Charles Caruso, a magazine and newspaper editor.[2] He is of Italian and Irish descent[3] and was raised as a Roman Catholic.[4] Caruso attended Our Lady Queen of Martyrs Catholic School, in Forest Hills. He later attended Archbishop Molloy High School in nearby Briarwood, graduating in 1974.[5]
Career
1980s
His first film appearance was in the 1980 film Getting Wasted as "Danny". Caruso then spent most of the next decade in film supporting roles, appearing in such films as First Blood, An Officer and a Gentleman, Blue City, Thief of Hearts, and China Girl. Caruso also appeared in Twins and Hudson Hawk (1991).
In television he had a recurring role as Tommy Mann, the gang leader of "The Shamrocks", on Hill Street Blues in the early 1980s. He also had a two-episode appearance on the television series Crime Story which ran from 1986 to 1988 on NBC.
1990s
Caruso had supporting roles in the crime films King of New York (1990) and Mad Dog and Glory (1992). While filming 1991's Hudson Hawk, Caruso employed Method acting, refusing to talk to anyone on set as his character, Kit-Kat, is mute having had his tongue bitten off.[6]
Caruso's first significant role was in 1993 as Detective John Kelly on the series NYPD Blue, for which Caruso won a Golden Globe Award. In addition, TV Guide named Caruso as one of the six new stars to watch in the 1993-94 season.
He made news by leaving the highly rated show the following year (only four episodes into the second season) to pursue a career in film, but he was unable to establish himself as a leading-man despite starring in the crime thriller Kiss of Death, which was critically well-received but did not perform well financially. He also appeared in Jade (1995), which flopped critically and at the box office. In 1997, Caruso returned to television as the star of the short-lived CBS law drama series, Michael Hayes, in which he played a New York City-based federal prosecutor. It ran for one season.
2000s
Caruso returned to film with a supporting role as Russell Crowe's mercenary associate in the movie Proof of Life in 2000. In 2001, he had a lead role in the horror film, Session 9.
Between 2002 and 2012, he starred as Lt. Horatio Caine in the popular CSI spin-off series CSI: Miami. He was the first actor in the franchise to appear as the same character on all three CSI programs. On CSI: Miami, Caruso is known for frequently using one-liners which are highly appropriate to the present situation, many of which include him putting on his trademark sunglasses mid-sentence. Caruso's sunglasses and one-liners are often ridiculed on The Soup by host Joel McHale. On an episode of the Late Show with David Letterman that aired on March 8, 2007, comedian Jim Carrey satirically impersonated Caruso. Carrey asked for an “intense close-up” from the camera, spoke in a deep voice and put sunglasses on. David later said in an interview with CBS that he was impressed with the impersonation.[7] In the twentieth episode of the fifth season of House, "Simple Explanation", Dr. House says to Dr. Cameron "Did you deduce that by taking off your sunglasses to the strains of a Who song?".
CSI Franchise
Caruso portrayed Lt. Horatio Caine on CSI: Miami from 2002 to 2012.
Gallery
Filmography
- An Officer and a Gentleman (1982) as Topper Daniels
- First Blood (1982) as Deputy Mitch
- Hill Street Blues (1981–1983) as Tommy Mann
- TJ Hooker (1983; episode "Requiem for a Cop" as Jennings)
- Thief of Hearts (1984) as Buddy Calamara
- Blue City (1986) as Joey Rayford
- China Girl (1987) as Mercury
- King of New York (1990) as Dennis Gilley
- Hudson Hawk (1991) as Kit Kat
- Mad Dog and Glory (1992) as Mike
- NYPD Blue (1993–1994) as Det. John Kelly
- Kiss of Death (1995) as Jimmy Kilmartin
- Jade (1995) as David Corelli
- Michael Hayes (1997) as Michael Hayes
- Body Count (1997) as Hobbs
- Proof of Life (2000) as Dino
- Session 9 (2001) as Phil
- Black Point (2001) as John Hawkins
- CSI: Miami (2002–2012) as Lt. Horatio Caine
- CSI: NY (2005) as Lt. Horatio Caine
References
- ↑ James Brady (columnist). In Step With David Caruso (TV and film actor), Parade (magazine), March 6, 2005. Accessed June 2, 2009. "The redheaded David Caruso grew up in Forest Hills, N.Y."
- ↑ Template:Cite web
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- ↑ Richard E Grant, "With Nails: The Film Diaries of Richard E Grant", p.179
- ↑ Interview with Caruso and cast of CSI:Miami