The David Caruso 2002 Apology Tour rolls on

David Caruso is sorry.

Sorry he misbehaved on the set of "NYPD Blue." Sorry he walked away from the best role he may ever have. Sorry he alienated the audience and sent his once-promising movie career into a tailspin.

He's sorry, and he wants you to know how much he's sorry.

"While we all understand that I mishandled the 'NYPD Blue' situation quite handily, I've had a number of opportunities to grow up and realize what has been provided for me," the flame-haired actor says.

This particular mea culpa comes during a July news conference in Pasadena to promote "CSI: Miami," a spinoff of the popular CBS crime drama and David Caruso's last, best chance to wage a comeback after his post-"Blue" movie career fizzled.

The news conference is part of what you could call The David Caruso 2002 Apology Tour, a months-long stretch of self-flagellation that began in the spring when he had dinner with the three "CSI" creators.

"He was so amazing," recalls producer Ann Donahue. "He came in and explained that he knew he had made mistakes. He said he had started a dialogue with the public when he was on 'NYPD' as John Kelly, and he wanted to continue that dialogue."

The Apology Tour continues after the news conference, as Caruso spends the rest of his day graciously falling on his sword in a series of one-on-one interviews with reporters.

Nine years ago, Caruso literally walked off the "NYPD Blue" set — relations were so frayed at that point that he kept going after his final scene was shot, not stopping until he'd climbed into a waiting limo. He's still being asked about that stormy exit.

He welcomes questions

He used to duck those questions, but he says he welcomes them now. It's impossible to gauge his sincerity, but he sounds convincing — certainly more so than when he half-heartedly tried to apologize while promoting his last comeback vehicle, the failed CBS drama "Michael Hayes."

"In a funny way, when the press are tapping you on the shoulder to take a look at something, there may be some merit to it," he says. "And I've gotten to do that. This process has been very good for me. I've had nine years to think about it. Kind of an interesting nine years. I don't think I could have helped but grow up quite a bit."

As "Blue" hero John Kelly, the righteous-but-sensitive avenger of the 15th Precinct, the Queens native flared across television screens like a shooting star. Despite a thin, pale build, that shock of red hair and an everyman face — "I don't look like an actor," he says — he was embraced as an action hero and a sex symbol.

Torment on the set

But to tap into the fiery charisma that wowed the audience, Caruso had to place himself into what he now calls "a tormented environment," which wound up tormenting everyone around him.

Opinions differ on exactly how disruptive Caruso was during that first season, though everyone agrees that there were problems.

He threw tantrums and was so paranoid about co-star Dennis Franz getting stronger material in their shared scenes that the writers deliberately started writing scripts that kept the two apart.

"I don't have very fond memories of working with David," says "Blue" executive producer Bill Clark, a 25-year veteran of the real NYPD.

"Very early on, I realized that there was something else going on with him that was making him and the character tick," says Gordon Clapp, who plays Detective Medavoy. "If nothing else, the set was really alive. There was a real tension there. But whatever was going on in his head, he made Kelly into one of the great characters of all time."

Amy Brenneman, who played Kelly's romantic interest, Janice Licalsi, puts it more bluntly. "Oh, David was crazy," she says.

Caruso places the blame for his poor conduct squarely on his inexperience at the time. Before "NYPD Blue," he had spent most of his career playing small roles on television. His closest brush with the mainstream had been his role with Robert DeNiro in the box-office dud "Mad Dog and Glory."

"My sin was ignorance, not megalomania," he says. "I just didn't know what I was doing. I was a working character actor, and I was doing pretty good, but suddenly, 'vroom!,' you're the quarterback of the team, you're not one of the defensive backs. If you don't know what that job is and what the responsibilities are, you can be over your head pretty quickly."