David Caruso was once a familiar face on the CBS hit series “CSI: Miami,” but has since completely transformed from his days as the sunglasses-wearing Lt. Horatio Caine more than a decade ago.
The 69-year-old actor, who traded in his call sheets to become an art dealer, was spotted on April 30 carrying paintings into his art gallery in Westlake, California. The pop-out is one of the rare times he’s been photographed in public in recent years. Caruso has notoriously maintained an extremely low profile since retiring from acting in 2012.
The former TV detective now sports shoulder-length red hair– a striking departure from the short, neat style he maintained throughout his television career, according to photographs published by Hello! Magazine.
(Photo by GVK/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images)
Appearing almost unrecognizable to his fans, Caruso was dressed in a loose-fitting dark T-shirt and black pants, with eyeglasses replacing his character’s signature sunglasses.
Later that same day, paparazzi snapped him as he was coming out of an art gallery looking more put together, having changed into an all-black Adidas tracksuit with a clean-shaven face.
Caruso was seemingly being assisted by a female companion who helped him move around and drove him through town, suggesting the former actor may need additional support these days.
One reader on Yahoo! Entertainment wrote, “He’s getting old just like everybody. So what? Getting older is natural.”
Another said, “Except for the long hair and looking older, yeah I wouldn’t have known who he was. But, time stands still for no one.
A third comment read, “Wow , he looks so very different, I enjoyed the show.”
Caruso was spotted in April, marking his first public appearance since December 2024, when he attended an event at his art gallery.
Remember David Caruso #CSIMiami
Before After pic.twitter.com/dH27vPst65— Γιδοπροβατο Συλλεκτης 🫶 (@gidoprobata) November 29, 2023
That holiday outing followed a rare sighting near his San Fernando Valley home around the same time in 2023 — the first time he’d been photographed in public since June 2017, when he was seen at LAX with his two youngest children.
‘CSI: Miami’ alum David Caruso looks wildly different in new photos since 2017 https://t.co/1pcOETXLxE pic.twitter.com/uK8Lc0Pi5U
— New York Post (@nypost) December 1, 2023
After leaving Hollywood behind, the Golden Globe winner transitioned to the art business, opening his gallery in Westlake Village, where he now showcases paintings and other artwork, the Daily Mail reports.
This career shift represents a complete departure from the entertainment industry that made him a household name.
Caruso’s journey to television stardom began in the 1980s with roles in productions like “Getting Wasted” before landing his breakthrough as Detective John Kelly in “NYPD Blue” in 1993.
Despite the role earning him both a Golden Globe and an Emmy nomination, Caruso famously departed the series just four episodes into the second season, reportedly after failing to secure a pay raise.
What actor or actress stupidly left a movie franchise or tv series thinking they were too good for it, only to be never popular again?
— cinesthetic. (@TheCinesthetic) February 25, 2025
His exit from “NYPD Blue” led to several film projects, including a remake of the classic film “Kiss of Death” and the William Friedkin movie “Jade,” according to Screen Rant.
Despite good reviews and sharing the screen with Nicolas Cage and Samuel L. Jackson in “Kiss of Death,” both films underperformed at the box office.
“Jade,” penned by “Basic Instinct” writer Joe Eszterhas and billed as the next big erotic thriller, became a critical and commercial disappointment, grossing less than $10 million against an almost $50 million budget.
Caruso’s career redemption came in 2002 when he landed his most successful role on “CSI: Miami.” The series ran for ten seasons before being canceled due to declining ratings and increasing production costs. His portrayal of Caine, known for deadpan delivery of one-liners often preceded by dramatically removing his sunglasses, became a cultural phenomenon and cemented his place in television history.
Given how iconic his role was and how audiences were used to seeing Caruso a certain way, his new look feels jarring to those less accepting of the natural aging process.
His personal life, outside of how he looks, has included three marriages and three children with two different women.
Caruso’s first marriage to actress Cheri Maugans lasted from 1979 to 1984. He then wed actress Rachel Ticotin later that same year, welcoming daughter Greta before divorcing in 1987. Caruso’s third marriage to producer Margaret Buckley began in 1996 and ended by 2004, after which he dated Liza Marquez, mother of his two youngest children, Marquez and Paloma.
Now approaching his 70s, the once-ubiquitous television star has fully embraced his second act, collecting and selling paintings, leaving behind the intense crime scenes and memorable one-liners that defined his on-screen persona for a quieter life dedicated to his artistic pursuits.
