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CSI Miami’s David Caruso: Skilled Character Actor Or Acting Hack?
I’m a huge CSI Miami fan (for years I wanted to live in Miami, but wound up in San Diego when I accepted a job in 1982 as a reporter for the recent sold and seriously downsized San Diego Union). I’m also now in the entertainment biz and love studying acting and comedy technique.
Which raises a question: is David Caruso’s way of delivering some lines on CSI Miami, and putting on his sunglasses a sign of a good character actor or an actor who showed enormous promise in his NYPD Blue days but has evolved into an acting hack? Watch this and decide (your comments are welcome):
FOOTNOTE: I’ve now tried using this intonation and putting my glasses or sunglasses on and it doesn’t work as well. It really doesn’t work when I try to do it with my contact lenses.
UPDATE: Some comedians are having fun with Caruso’s technique:
And a famous, top comedian even poked fun at him on David Letterman:
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9 Responses to “CSI Miami’s David Caruso: Skilled Character Actor Or Acting Hack?”
As you've seen on my blog on occasion, I'm no fan of CSI: Miami. I do think it's hackneyed, filled with claptrap and sensationalizes style over substance. David Caruso particularly seems to be caught up in keeping the focus on himself rather than the story, which in turn detracts from the overall effect. David Caruso's antics do not strike me as those of a talented veteran actor, but rather a ham with a stage.
I much preferred him in Hudson Hawk.
I see Caruso primarily as a skilled character actor. Having said that, the last two plus seasons of CSI Miami have seen him descend quite a bit into the acting hack category. After numerous complaints from the vocal viewers, his Horatio Caine is now returning to a semblance of his former self.
CSI Miami, as mentioned, is often filled with “claptrap, sensationalizing style over substance”. The vocal viewers are split on that aspect, however, so I don't see much improvement in the immediate future.
Totally cracked me up to watch those. Thanks, Joe.
That video……… is a killer.
I'm big CSI:miami fan but this was HILARIOUS!!!!
david caruso is one of the few whose acting without the words is equally dynamic. his expressions let us peek in to his thoughts, and he always lets his emotions play just at the surface and never allowing them to pour over. his style is rare which opens him to ridicule, but 14 million folk can't be wrong every week. physically, he stands alone with that red hair….just unique and a very gifted artist.
He must be good.
He's got people watching him because they love him.
And he's got people watching him because they hate him.
And he's got both groups debating with each other about his acting skills.
How many actors can do that?
Normally, when someone doesn't like a certain actor, they don't watch the movie or show they are in, right?
But there are people watching him even though they hate his acting and then feel compelled to write blogs about it telling how much they hate his acting style. And chances are, you'll tune in next week and do the same thing.
He even encourages people to 'make fun' of him and to do impersonations of him. Why? Because “It keeps people watching the show.” (The Soup video.) Smart man, David Caruso.
What's to stop him from continuing on in the same manner as he has been? If it isn’t broke, don't fix it. Right?
In my book, that makes him a genius.
VERY well said!
I think his performance on CSI:Miami is terrible, but I don't think it necessarily makes him a “hack.” He's clearly going for an iconic-hero-styled performance, and I think he knows he's over-the-top with it, but I think it's a misfired attempt at something unusual rather than an oblivious lack of talent.
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