One of the most famous examples of an actor overvaluing himself: David Caruso was a breakout star on the hit NYPD Blue. So big, he thought he was destined to be a star on the big screen. Oops. It was 1994, however, and TV didn't have the ability it has now to draw big stars to quality shows on cable networks like HBO, AMC, FX, etc. It was the movies or bust for a lot of actors. As the LA Times' Rick Du Brow noted back in October 94 in an article on Caruso leaving the show, while TV was already getting more respect then it previously had, and while the money was better, "snobbery is still there." Caruso used the success of the first season of NYPD Blue to demand a hell of a lot of money from the show's producers, and rumours of contract negotiations and strong-arm tactics were all over the press. Then he opted to leave the show, gone by the fourth episode of the second season. His movie career was a bust, and he wouldn't find success again until he returned to the small screen on CSI Miami. Yeaaahhh. Meanwhile, his replacements on NYPD Blue just didn't seem to work out, and no fewer than three actors tried to fill his shoes to no avail, including Jimmy Smits. In the end, Dennis Franz would wind up the star of the show, winning multiple awards for it. Speaking of Franz, he didn't see Caruso in person for years until a photo shoot in Entertainment Weekly in 2012. Speaking to Zap2It, Franz said "A lot of water has gone under that bridge over the years, and a lot has been said and made of it, and his career certainly has had its ups and downs. Thankfully for him, it's on a huge upswing now, but he had to suffer through quite a bit after that."
Primarily covering the sport of MMA from Ontario, Canada, Jay Anderson has been writing for various publications covering sports, technology, and pop culture since 2001. Jay holds an Honours Bachelor of Arts degree in English from the University of Guelph, and a Certificate in Leadership Skills from Humber College.
