Caruso Reflects On Leaving 'NYPD Blue'

CSI: Miami's David Caruso (Horatio Caine) recently reflected on his decision to leave NYPD Blue after its first season and launch a film career — a move which backfired spectacularly.

"It has taken me a long time to re-lay the foundation of trust," Caruso told the Sydney Morning Herald's Michael Idato. Back in 1994, the actor bailed on the cop show in a blaze of publicity, claiming "NYPD Blue will not be successful when I leave".

Now that he's starring on the most-watched freshman drama series on television, Caruso said the wounds have begun to heal. "When you make a mistake careerwise, in the way that I did, there is a feeling of violation — a sense of, 'We supported you; you abandoned us' — and there is truth to that. But I have a sense [the focus] is shifting off my damaged celebrity and back onto my work."

Between NYPD Blue and CSI: Miami the Golden Globe-winning actor appeared in several box-office bombs, including Kiss of Death and Jade. In 1997 he starred in the short-lived Michael Hayes, which was cancelled after one season. Caruso said the legal series was "just dismissed because I was a person that deserved to be in showbusiness purgatory".

"It's been hard," the actor said of his struggle. "I had to go through a difficult period, but I wasn't allowed to perish. There is a real serendipity to this project [CSI: Miami] for me."

The complete article, which also includes comments from several other Miami cast members, can be found at the Sydney Morning Herald.

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