It usually starts with the sunglasses. You know the ones—those rimless Silhouette titanium frames that became more famous than the actual plots of the show. David Caruso stands over a body, maybe someone who drowned in a vat of expensive tequila. He looks at the horizon, not the corpse. He mumbles something about "taking a shot," slides the shades on with a flick of the wrist, and then Roger Daltrey’s scream from The Who blasts into your living room.
It’s legendary. It’s also kinda ridiculous.
But if you think David Caruso in CSI Miami was just a walking meme, you’re missing the weirdest, most successful redemption arc in television history. Before he was Horatio Caine, Caruso was the poster child for "Hollywood Hubris." He walked away from NYPD Blue—a massive hit—after just one season because he thought he was the next Clint Eastwood. He wasn't. A string of cinematic duds like Jade and Kiss of Death basically turned him into a punchline. By 2002, he was a "has-been" at 46. Then came the orange-tinted world of Miami-Dade.
The Method Behind the Sunglasses
Most actors try to be "grounded." Caruso went the opposite way. He leaned into a hyper-stylized, almost Kabuki-theatre version of a police lieutenant. People laughed at the one-liners, sure, but they watched. Millions of them. At its peak, CSI: Miami was named the "World’s Most Popular TV Show" in a study of ratings across 20 countries.
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Why? Because Caruso understood the assignment.
The show wasn't trying to be The Wire. It was a comic book. Horatio Caine was a superhero whose power was forensic science and leaning at a 45-degree angle. Behind the scenes, the "Caruso-isms" were carefully crafted. He didn't just stumble into that performance. He chose the sunglasses himself just two days before filming the pilot crossover, "Cross Jurisdictions." He found them in a shop, bought three pairs, and the rest is history.
Honestly, the production was intense. The "no earth tones" rule meant everything had to be neon, azure, or sunset orange. If you weren't wearing a primary color, you were practically invisible. Caruso fit into this neon landscape perfectly. His red hair and pale skin against the saturated Florida sun created a visual contrast that popped off the screen.
The Reputation: "Cancerous" or Just misunderstood?
You can't talk about David Caruso without talking about the baggage. Steven Bochco, the creator of NYPD Blue, once described Caruso’s behavior as "cancerous." He alleged the actor was a "sullen teenager" who would shut down on set. David Milch, the legendary writer, claimed the stress of arguing with Caruso almost gave him a heart attack.
It’s heavy stuff.
Yet, on the set of CSI: Miami, something shifted. Or maybe it didn't. There are stories of him being exacting, demanding that the "shades" moment be perfect. But he stayed for ten years. He appeared in all 232 episodes. He became the highest-paid actor on cable at one point, pulling in roughly $375,000 per episode. You don't stay in that seat for a decade if you haven't learned how to play the game, or at least how to be the "king of your own castle."
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The Cast Chemistry
- Emily Procter (Calleigh Duquesne): The "Southern Belle" with a ballistics degree. She provided the warmth that Horatio lacked.
- Adam Rodriguez (Eric Delko): The protégé. Their relationship felt like a surrogate father-son bond, especially after Horatio married Delko's sister, Marisol.
- Khandi Alexander (Alexx Woods): The medical examiner who talked to the dead. She brought the soul to a show that could sometimes feel like a high-end music video.
When Rory Cochrane (who played Tim Speedle) wanted out in Season 3, the show didn't blink. It just got louder. That’s the thing about the Caruso era—the show was a machine designed to highlight its lead.
Why He Disappeared After 2012
When CBS canceled the show in 2012, people expected Caruso to find another vehicle. He didn't. He just... stopped.
He didn't do the late-night circuit. He didn't take a "prestige" role on an HBO drama. He retired. Like, actually retired. He shifted his focus to the art world, opening a gallery called Caruso Art in California and co-owning a clothing store, Steam on Sunset, in South Miami.
There’s something sort of respectable about that. He made his millions—his net worth is still estimated around $35 million—and he checked out. He knew Horatio Caine was the mountaintop. How do you follow a character that became a global shorthand for "cool cop"? You don't. You go sell high-end art and live your life.
The Legacy of the "YEEEEAAAAHHH"
The meme culture of the late 2000s cemented David Caruso in CSI Miami as a permanent fixture of the internet. The "four-pane" comic strip where he says a pun and puts on glasses is the DNA of modern social media humor. But beyond the jokes, the show changed how we see forensic science. It "sexified" the lab. It made fingerprinting look like a rave.
If you’re looking to revisit the show or understand why it worked, look at the episodes directed by Eagle Egilsson or Sam Hill. They understood the visual language Caruso was speaking.
Actionable Next Steps for Fans:
- Track down the "Silhouette 8568" frames: If you can find them. They were discontinued years ago, making the original "Horatio shades" a collector's item.
- Watch the crossover episodes: To see the contrast between Caruso and the other leads, watch "Cross Jurisdictions" (CSI) or the CSI: NY crossovers. The energy shift when he enters a room is palpable.
- Check out "Session 9": If you want to see Caruso actually act without the Miami glitz, this 2001 horror film is widely considered his best work outside of the procedural world.
Caruso didn't need to be the next Eastwood. He became the first Horatio Caine, and for ten years, that was more than enough to rule the airwaves.