Jadewas supposed to launch David Caruso’s movie career, but while it was a box-office disaster, it still predicted his success onCSI: Miami.NYPD Bluewas a groundbreaking 1990s series that offered a more grounded, gritty take on the classic police procedural. The show also catapulted David Caruso to stardom, after he had previously made an impression in movies likeFirst BloodandKing of New York. Caruso was perfect casting for the intense detective John Kelly, but the star was also famously unhappy on the series.
Caruso had little interest in network television and immediately set his eye on movies when his role onNYPD Bluegarnered buzz. Despite having signed on for multiple seasons, co-creator Steven Bochco let Caruso out on the condition that he film several episodes for season 2, including an onscreen exit;Kelly was later replaced onNYPD Blueby Jimmy Smits' Simone.Given the acclaim the series would go on to receive, Caruso’s early exit is seen as one of the biggest career faux pas of recent memory, especially when his film plans quickly came undone.
Why Did CSI Miami Kill Off Rory Cochrane’s Speed?
Tim Speedle was one of the original members of Horatio Caine’s team in CSI: Miami, but he was killed in season 3 – here’s what happened.
Jade Killed David Caruso’s Film Career After He Left NYPD Blue
Leaving NYPD Blue was a real Kiss of Death
After his time onNYPD Bluewas done,Caruso signed on for two high-profile projects: a remake of classic film noirKiss of Deathand theWilliam Freidkin movieJade.Kiss of Deathwas released in early 1995, and paired Caruso with co-stars like Nicolas Cage and Samuel L. Jackson. Despite good reviews and a strong cast,Kiss of Deathwas a box-office dud. WhileKiss of Deathmay have arrived first,Jadewas the movie that was pegged as the true test of Caruso’s star power.
2000
2015
2002
2012
2004
2013
2016
2021
2024
The movie was penned byBasic Instinct’sJoe Eszterhas and was billed as the next big erotic thriller.Jadewas a glossy, big-budget affair that again surrounded Caruso with a talented cast, including Linda Fiorentino as the titular character and Michael Biehn. LikeThe French ConnectionandTo Live and Die in L.A.before it,Jadefeatures an awesome car chase from Friedkin, but while it’s got style, the story is a muddy, convoluted mess.For a film sold as a sexy thriller, it is never particularly sexy or thrillingfor most of the runtime.
… it feels like the critics already had their knives sharpened for the film due to Caruso’s messy NYPD Blue exit; it just didn’t help his cause thatJadewas a dud.
It’s possible to watch it thinking Caruso’s Corelli is playing a hard-boiled detective, but he’s actually supposed to be the assistant district attorney; just one who takes a very hands-on approach to his cases.Jadeended up being a critical and commercial disaster, grossing less than $10 million on an estimated $50 million budget(viaThe Numbers). Reviews were no kinder, with the thriller sitting at 16% onRotten Tomatoes. In truth, it feels like the critics already had their knives sharpened for the film due to Caruso’s messyNYPD Blueexit; it just didn’t help his cause thatJadewas a dud.
Jade Feels Like A Stealth Prequel To CSI: Miami
Caruso’s time on Jade wasn’t a total waste
JadeandCSI: Miamimay not look that similar, but they share a lot in common when examined under a microscope. Corelli isn’t a cartoon character likeCSI’sHoratio Caine, but they both spend much of their screentime surveying gory crime scenes or in labs looking at evidence being analyzed.It won’t take much to rewriteJadeinto a typical episode ofCSI: Miamieither, since it opens with Corelli and his team uncovering a bleak crime scene (where the victim has been flayed alive) and then uncovering a conspiracy as they follow the clues.
The technology featured inJadeisn’t nearly as sleek as theCSIfranchise, but much of the grunt work and gallows humor between the team is the same. What’s missing from Friedkin’s thriller is the sense of fun thatCSI: Miamibrings, from Horatio’s groanworthy one-liners to the sunny locales. In contrast,Jadeis deathly serious and while there are occasional gags, the film is too po-faced for its own good.
CSI: Miami’s Horatio Caine Became David Caruso’s Defining Work
Caruso retired when the series ended
The failure ofJadehurt Caruso’s career in a big way, and while he had some solid roles in films likeProof of Life, it appeared he would never recapture hisNYPD Bluefame. That all changed when he signed on forCSI: Miami, a spinoff that became almost as popular as its parent show. Much of that was down to the uniqueness of Caruso’s performance as Horatio, where he would utter terrible puns or catchphrases with the straightest of faces.
CSI: Miamiweaponized Caruso’s strengths as a performer, and while the character (and the show surrounding him) became more outlandish as time went by, he still made the series compulsive viewing.CSI: Miamibecame Caruso’s defining project, with Caine being his most recognizable role. Perhaps sensing it would be his acting legacy,Caruso retired from acting afterCSI: Miamiended in 2012.
David Caruso’s final movie was 2001’sBlack Point.
Jadeitself didn’t leave much of a legacy, though it did get a hilarious reference inThe 40-Year-Old Virgin, where Seth Rogen’s character advises Steve Carell’s Andy to “Act like David Caruso in Jade” as a way of being confident talking to women. This leads Carell to do his best Caruso impersonation, which actually works in his favor.
Jade
Cast
Jade, directed by William Friedkin, is a 1995 thriller revolving around District Attorney David Corelli, who investigates the murder of a prominent art dealer. The case reveals a tangled web of sex, corruption, and crime, implicating his ex-lover, Katrina Gavin, a psychologist married to his friend.
CSI: Miami
CSI: Miami is a police procedural drama that aired for 10 seasons from 2002-2012 on CBS. The first spin-off of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, the series features a group of detectives working for the Miami-Dade Police Department’s Crime Scene Investigations. David Caruso, Emily Procter, and Adam Rodriguez star on the show.
