Caruso's happy with `CSI' ..BY: By Faridul Anwar Farinordin ..LD: HOMICIDES and science make a winning combination, at least for the cast of the crime-busting drama series `CSI: Miami'. FARIDUL ANWAR FARINORDIN speaks to David Caruso, who plays the lead c.

(From New Straits Times (Malaysia))

HOMICIDES and science make a winning combination, at least for the cast of the crime-busting drama series `CSI: Miami'. FARIDUL ANWAR FARINORDIN speaks to David Caruso, who plays the lead character of the unflappable Lieutenant Horatio Caine.

DON'T ask David Caruso about his past. The award-winning red-haired actor who plays Lieutenant Horatio Caine in CSI: Miami has been known to walk out in the middle of an interview, or slam down the receiver during a phone interview because he didn't like the questions asked of him, particularly on his TV-to- movie-to-TV-hopping habit.

Refrain from asking about his string of bombed movies or his past TV productions and you'll discover that Caruso is actually a charming person - he even called this reporter "Sir" during this recent telephone interview.

"I am so satisfied with the show (CSI: Miami). This is the best job in show business and I am glad Hollywood found good use for me," said the 48- year-old who won a Golden Globe for Best Actor in 1993 for his performance as Detective John Kelly in the hit cop TV series NYPD Blue.

Caruso, who achieved notoriety status in Tinseltown for breaking his TV contract to pursue a career in films, left NYPD Blue in 1994 for the big screen (it was reported that his decision was triggered by a salary dispute with producer Steven Bochco, and his role was taken over by Jimmy Smits).

Unfortunately, a string of box-office flops followed (Kiss of Death and Jade, both in 1995) and he found himself back on prime-time TV with the 1997 courtroom drama Michael Hayes, in which he played the starring role of a lawyer.