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NYPD Blue is a police crime drama television series, based in New York City and revolves around the 15th Precinct detective squad and their adventures in resolving crimes in Manhattan. Created by David Milch and Steven Bocho, the show first premiered on ABC back on September 21, 1993, and ran for twelve seasons till March 1, 2005.
David Caruso joined the show in 1993 and played the role of its central protagonist John Kelly, a detective who has worked in the police department for 14 years. John Kelly joined the police force at the age of 21. The role instantly got massive attention from viewers worldwide, with Detective Kelly getting a separate fanbase, for his intellect, wit, and that signature red hair.
But viewers of the show were completely surprised when Caruso decided to leave the show, after the fourth episode of its second season. As stated by Rolling Stone in an article posted on August 18, 2023, Caruso decided to leave his role in NYPD Blue, when the production rejected his proposal of increasing his acting charges. Additionally, with the growing success, he wanted to make his move into the film industry, as a lead in movies.
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What happened to David Caruso during NYPD Blue?
David Caruso's acting career started with the role of Danny in the 1980 film Getting Wasted. Throughout the 1980s Caruso kept on playing supporting roles in films. Some of these movies included major hits such as Stallone's First Blood (1982), and Schwarzenegger's Twins (1988).
At this time Caruso started to receive limelight with his roles in crime shows such as Hill Street Blues, H.E.L.P, and Crime Story. Caruso landed his breakthrough role in 1993 when he joined the cast of ABC's new show NYPD Blue. The show received major approval from the viewers and ran for 12 successful seasons, but the scriptwriters of the show had to force John Kelly, to take an early retirement. This is because David Caruso decided to leave the show, to try his hand in the movies.
Caruso asked for a sizeable raise in his acting fees for the show and a lighter schedule as he was working on several other projects parallely at that time. When this was not fulfilled by ABC, he decided to leave the show completely. Caruso wished to use his stardom, to make a career in the film industry and create a dedicated fanbase as a leading man.
He did land a few roles in movies such as Kiss of Death (1995), Jade (1995), and Proof of Life (2000), but they were not majorly received by the audience.
During an interview with The New York Times back in June 2000, David Caruso spoke about quitting NYPD Blue. He said:
"In all honesty, I just didn't have the tools''
He further added,
''I didn't know how to handle the responsibility. I handled it like an amateur. I didn't realize how upset people were until the show was over. I didn't get it. And I think it has a lot to do with fear."
"I mean, I was terrified I couldn't meet the challenge of the job. The quality level was very high for the show, and I was in a full-blown panic. I didn't want to lose it after all those years of being told I wasn't the right guy for the part,'' continued Caruso.
David Caruso opened up about his experience saying that playing the role of Detective John Kelly was turning into a very big responsibility. Caruso said that it was like a dream come true for him. The witty detective had created a major fan base, and the expectations from people began to rise quickly. The duty of being John Kelly was turning heavier, and Caruso had the fear of disappointing his fans and losing it all. Hence, he decided to quit the role.
What happened to David Caruso after NYPD Blue?
After Caruso left NYPD Blue, he went on to work in movies. After starring as a supporting character in Russell Crowe's movie Proof of Life (2000), he again landed a leading role in Brad Anderson's Session 9 (2001).
After not receiving major success in movies, David Caruso made his comeback to television with CSI: Miami. From playing Detective John Kelly in NYPD Blue he shifted to the role of police Lieutenant Horatio Caine in CSI: Miami, a part of the famous CSI franchise. Caruso continued to play his role from 2002 for 10 seasons till its end in 2012.
After the end of CSI: Miami, Caruso quit acting and shifted his focus to the art business. Caruso currently co-owns a clothing store named Steam on Sunset, in South-Miami.
