Esai Morales
Esai Morales | |
|---|---|
 Morales in 2009 | |
| Born | Esai Manuel Morales Jr. October 1, 1962[1] |
| Education | School of Performing Arts |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 1982–present |
| Spouse |
Elvimar Silva (m.2010) |
| Children | 1 |
Esai Manuel Morales Jr.(born October 1, 1962) is an American actor. He has had notable roles in the filmsBad BoyswithSean PennandLa BambawithLou Diamond Phillips.His television roles include thePBS2002 drama seriesAmerican Family,theShowtimeseriesResurrection Blvd.(2000–2002), portrayingLt. Tony RodriguezonNYPD Blue(2001–2003),Joseph Adamain thescience fictionseriesCaprica(2009–2010), Camino del Rio in theNetflixoriginal seriesOzark(2017), and theDC ComicssupervillainSlade Wilson / Deathstrokein the superhero seriesTitans(2018).
Morales appeared as Gabriel, the main antagonist in the 2023 spy action filmMission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part OneoppositeTom Cruise,a role which he will reprise in theuntitled eighthMission: Impossiblefilmin 2025.
Early life[edit]
Of Puerto Rican descent, Morales was born in Brooklyn to Esai Morales Sr., a welder, and Iris Margarita (née Declet), a union activist involved with theInternational Ladies' Garment Workers' Union.[3]Morales began his pursuit of an acting career by attending theSchool of Performing Artsin Manhattan.[4]
Career[edit]
His first professional performances were in theater and television in New York. His first major film wasBad Boys(1983), about rival teenagers sentenced to a juvenile correction facility. Morales appeared in a 1985 episode of the TV seriesFame.He co-starred withBurt Lancasterin the 1986 NBCminiseriesOn Wings of Eagles,playing the Iranian Rashid, the hero of a true story aboutRoss Perot.Morales also appeared inMiami Vice,The Equalizer,and24.
He played Bob Morales, the real-life ex-convict and biker half-brother of 1950s rock and roll singerRitchie Valens,inLa Bamba(1987). He also played Nicholas Walker inUltraviolet(1992). Some of his other roles have reflected his socio-political interests, such asThe Burning Seasonin 1994,My Family/Mi Familiain 1995,The Disappearance of Garcia Lorca(1997) andSouthern Cross(1999).[5]In the latter three films, as well as in others such asBloodhounds of Broadway(1989) andRapa-Nui(1994), Morales saw increased amounts of screen time, starting with a role in thePauly ShorefilmIn The Army Now(1994). He portrayed a police officer in the filmDogwatch(1996) and Father Herrera inThe Virgin of Juarez(2006).[6]
In the 1990s, he guest-starred on episodes ofThe Outer Limits,Tales from the Crypt,and two shorter-lived series,L.A. DoctorsandThe Hunger.He appeared in a two-part episode ofFamily Lawin 2000. He was part of the main cast of the long-running seriesNYPD Bluefor three and a half seasons, from 2001 to 2004, as the head of the 15th precinct detective squad.
He played a drug dealer named Lulu in the 2002 filmPaid in Full.In 2005, he was a voice actor in the video gameTrue Crime: New York City.
Morales was cast in the filmAmerican Fusion(2005),[7]and in 2006, he joined the cast of the Fox seriesVanished,asFBIagent Michael Tyner; the series ran for one season.[8]In 2007, Morales appeared in an episode of theUSA Networkdrama seriesBurn Notice,as a Cuban shopkeeper being shaken down for "protection" money by local criminals. In 2008, Morales had a role in theCBSdramaJericho,as Major Edward Beck. He appeared in all seven episodes of the shortenedsecond seasonThat same year, he appeared inKill Kill Faster Faster,afilm noirbased on the novel of the same name byJoel Rose.
Morales played the role ofJoseph Adamain the science fiction television seriesCaprica–Syfy's prequel to the seriesBattlestar Galactica.[9][10]The series, though highly anticipated, only ran for one season in 2010. In 2009, he served as an official festival judge for theNoor Iranian Film Festivalin Los Angeles.[11]
In 2011, Morales starred in the drama filmGun Hill Roadas Enrique,[12]and in the web dramaLos Americansairing on PIC.tv.[13]Morales worked withTony Plana,Yvonne DeLaRosa,Lupe Ontiveros,andJC GonzalezinLos Americans,an Internet program launched in 2011.
In 2015,Robert Rodriguezcast him as Lord Amancio Malvado for the second season of horror seriesFrom Dusk till Dawn: The Series,[14]which was followed in 2017 by a main role in the first season of theNetflixoriginal seriesOzark,and then in 2019 in an antagonist role for the second season of theDC Universesuperhero seriesTitansasSlade Wilson / Deathstroke.[15]
Morales appeared inMission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part Oneas Gabriel, the film's main villain, a role which he is reprising in thesecond part.[16]
In 2023, Morales starred in the western thrillerCottonmouth,which is set for release in 2024.[17]
Awards and honors[edit]
In 2005, Morales (along withMercedes Ruehl) received theRita MorenoHOLA Award for Excellence from theHispanic Organization of Latin Actors(HOLA).[citation needed]
He received the Lifetime Achievement Award from theArpa Foundation for Film, Music and Art,for his impact as an actor and role model.[citation needed]
Activism[edit]
Morales has described himself as an "actorvist",[18]primarily as one of the founders of theNational Hispanic Foundation for the Arts,taking inspiration from his mother, who was an organizer for theInternational Ladies' Garment Workers' Union.[19]He is also interested in environmental issues and was a founding board member of E.C.O. (Earth Communications Office).[20]
In a February 28, 2007, all-starbenefitreading ofThe Gift of PeaceatUCLA's Freud Playhouse, he portrayed a hopeful member of a strugglingimmigrantfamily. The play was an open appeal and fundraiser for passage ofU.S. HouseResolution808, which sought to establish aCabinet-level "Department of Peace" in the U.S. government, to be funded by a two percent diversion of thePentagon's annual budget.[21]
Personal life[edit]
Morales is avegetarian.[22]He has a daughter, born in 2010.[23]
Morales' first name is frequently used incrossword puzzles,because its rare construction makes it a prize for crossword constructors (it is a four-letter word in English that is 75 percent vowels, including the first and last letters). One crossword clue website estimated that between 1994 and 2016, "ESAI" had been used as a crossword answer over 100 times in American papers such asLos Angeles Times,The New York Times,andThe Washington Post.[24]
Filmography[edit]
| † | Denotes works that have not yet been released |
Film[edit]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1982 | Forty Deuce | Mitchell | |
| 1983 | Bad Boys | Paco Moreno | |
| 1986 | Rainy Day Friends | Neekos Valdez | |
| 1987 | La Bamba | Roberto 'Bob' Morales | |
| The Principal | Raymundo 'Raymi' Rojas | ||
| 1989 | Bloodhounds of Broadway | Jack 'Handsome Jack' | |
| 1990 | Naked Tango | Zico Borenstein | |
| Amazon | Jack | Uncredited | |
| 1992 | Ultraviolet | Nicholas Walker | |
| Freejack | 'Ripper' | ||
| 1993 | The Waiter | Julius | |
| Living and Working in Space: The Countdown Has Begun | Kenny | Direct-to-video | |
| 1994 | Rapa-Nui | Make | |
| Don't Do It | Charles | ||
| In the Army Now | Sergeant Stern | ||
| 1995 | My Family | 'Chucho' | |
| 1996 | Livers Ain't Cheap | Collin | |
| Death in Granada | Ricardo | ||
| The Real Thing | Collin | ||
| Dogwatch | Murrow | Direct-to-video | |
| Scorpion Spring | Astor | ||
| 1997 | The Disappearance of Garcia Lorca | Ricardo | Nominated Alma Award |
| 1998 | The Wonderful Ice Cream Suit | Dominguez | |
| 1999 | Southern Cross | Philip Solano | |
| 2000 | American Virgin | Jim The Director | |
| Spin Cycle | Nickens | ||
| Doomsday Man | Mike | Also Second unit director | |
| 2002 | The Adventures of Tom Thumb and Thumbelina | Vergas Mouse (voice) | Direct-to-video |
| Paid in Full | 'Lulu' | ||
| 2005 | Once Upon a Wedding | Pineda | |
| American Fusion | Jose | VC Film Fest Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival Best Actor Award Winner | |
| 2006 | The Virgin of Juarez | Father Herrera | |
| Fast Food Nation | Tony | ||
| How to Go Out on a Date in Queens | Frankie | ||
| 2008 | Kill Kill Faster Faster | Markie | |
| The Line | Pelon | ||
| 2010 | Cherry | Wes | |
| King of the Avenue | Natas | ||
| The Town | FBI Taskforce Agent Marcus | ||
| 2011 | Gun Hill Road | Enrique | FilmOut San Diego, US Best Actor Award Winner |
| 2012 | Atlas Shrugged: Part II | Francisco D'Anconia | |
| Seattle Superstorm | Tom Reynolds | ||
| 2013 | Playin' for Love | Principle Jose Martin | |
| 2014 | Jarhead 2: Field of Fire | Captain Jones | Direct-to-video |
| 2015 | Spare Parts | Mr. Santillan | Nominated Imagen Foundation Award Best Supporting Actor |
| 2016 | Never Back Down: No Surrender | Hugo Vega | Direct-to-video |
| 2018 | Superfly | Adalberto Gonzalez | |
| Imprisoned | Governor Mandera | ||
| 2019 | The Wall of Mexico | Henry Arista | |
| 2021 | Senior Moment | Diego Lozana | |
| 2022 | Art of Love | Professor / Writer | |
| Master Gardener | Oscar Neruda | ||
| 2023 | Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One | Gabriel | |
| 2024 | Crescent City† | Luke | |
| 2025 | Untitled eighthMission: Impossiblefilm† | Gabriel | Filming |
| TBD | The Latin from Manhattan† | Papi | Post-production |
Television[edit]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1984 | ABC Afterschool Special | Miguel Rados | Episode: "The Great Love Experiment" |
| 1985 | The Equalizer | Officer Miguel Canterra | Episode: "Lady Cop" |
| Fame | George | Episode: "Savage Streets" | |
| 1985–1987 | Miami Vice | Pete Romano / Felipe Cruz | 2 episodes |
| 1986 | On Wings of Eagles | Rashid | TV mini-series |
| 1989 | The Twilight Zone | Jesse Cardiff | Episode: "A Game of Pool" |
| 1991–1992 | The Legend of Prince Valiant | n/a (voice) | 2 episodes |
| 1992 | Bay City Story | Jim Duran | TV movie |
| 1994 | The Burning Season | Jair | TV movie |
| Tales from the Crypt | 'Puck' | Episode: "The Bribe" | |
| 1995 | Deadlocked: Escape from Zone 14 | Tony Archer | TV movie |
| 1996 | Dying to Be Perfect: The Ellen Hart Pena Story | Federico Peña | TV movie |
| 1997 | The Outer Limits | Frank Kelton | Episode: "Heart's Desire" |
| The Hunger | Tony | Episode: "I'm Dangerous Tonight" | |
| 1998 | Adventures from the Book of Virtues | Guillermo (voice) | Episode: "Charity" |
| Circle of Deceit | Jeff Silva | TV movie | |
| 1999 | L.A. Doctors | Vince Duralde | Episode: "The Life Lost in Living" |
| Atomic Train | Noris MacKenzie | TV movie | |
| 2000 | A Family in Crisis: The Elian Gonzales Story | Juan Miguel Gonzalez | TV movie |
| Family Law | Mr. Santiago | Episode: "Telling Lies, Conclusion" | |
| 2000–2002 | Resurrection Blvd. | Paco Corrales | 7 episodes |
| 2001–2004 | NYPD Blue | Lieutenant Tony Rodriguez | Series regular; 66 episodes
Outstanding Actor in a Television Series Alma Award Winner |
| 2002 | American Family | Esteban Gonzalez | 8 episodes
Nominated Prism Award Nominated Imagen Foundation Award Best Actor in a supporting role |
| George Lopez | Manny Lopez | Episode: "Who's Your Daddy?" | |
| 2002–2003 | Dora the Explorer | Papi (voice) | 5 episodes |
| 2004 | Sudbury | n/a | TV movie |
| 2005 | Heartless | Rick Benes / David Lopez | TV movie |
| Freddie | Carlos | Episode: "The Courtship of Freddie's Father" | |
| Behind the Mask of Zorro | Narrator | TV documentary (co-producer) | |
| 2006 | Company Town | Ray Dupre | TV movie |
| Vanished | Michael Tyner | 11 episodes | |
| Jurukan | Guest | 1 episode | |
| 2007 | The Cure | Jorge | TV movie |
| 24: Day 6 Debrief | Agent Jorge Ramirez | 5 episodes | |
| Burn Notice | Ernie Paseo | Episode: "Broken Rules" | |
| 2008 | Jericho | Major Edward Beck | 7 episodes
Nominated Alma Award |
| 2009–2010 | Caprica | Joseph Adama | Series regular; 18 episodes |
| 2010 | CSI: Miami | Stephen Madsen | Episode: "All Fall Down" |
| 2011 | Los Americans | Leandro 'Lee' Valenzuela | 8 episodes, also producer |
| Fairly Legal | District Attorney Aaron Davidson | Episode: "Bo Me Once" | |
| Seattle Superstorm | Tom | TV movie | |
| 17th Precinct | Liam Butterfield | TV movie | |
| We Have Your Husband | Eduardo Valseca | TV movie Nominated - Image Award | |
| 2012 | Law & Order: Special Victims Unit | Jimmy Vasquez | Episode: "Home Invasions" |
| Hola | Guest | 1 episode | |
| 2013 | Magic City | Carlos "El Tiburon" Ruiz | Season 2, 6 Episodes |
| 2013 | Major Crimes | Deputy Diaz | Episode: "Jailbait" |
| 2013–2015 | Criminal Minds[25] | Section Chief Mateo 'Matt' Cruz | 6 episodes |
| 2013 | Teachers | Manny | TV movie |
| Magic City | Carlos 'El Tiburon' Ruiz | 6 episodes | |
| 2014 | Cleaners | Father Brooks | 3 episodes |
| 2015 | The Brink | President Julian Navarro | Series regular; 10 episodes |
| From Dusk till Dawn: The Series | Lord Amancio Malvado | Series regular; 8 episodes | |
| Mozart in the Jungle | Juan Delgado | 2 episodes | |
| 2015–2016 | Blue Bloods | Sergeant Trey Delgado | 2 episodes |
| 2016 | L.A. Series | 'El Mono' | TV movie |
| Casa Vita | Rodrigo Vita | TV movie | |
| Hit the Floor | Detective | TV special | |
| Adam Ruins Everything | Alfonso | Episode: "Adam Ruins Immigration" | |
| 2016–2020 | How to Get Away with Murder | Jorge Castillo | 8 episodes |
| 2017 | Chicago P.D. | Police Chief Lugo | 6 episodes |
| Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders | Section Chief Mateo 'Matt' Cruz | Episode: "La Huesuda" | |
| Ozark | Camino Del Rio | Season 1 | |
| 2018–2019 | NCIS: Los Angeles | NCIS Deputy DirectorLouis Ochoa | Recurring role; 7 episodes |
| 2018 | Mars | Roland St. John | 4 episodes |
| 2019 | Titans | Slade Wilson / Deathstroke | Main role; 10 episodes |
| 2020 | Curb Your Enthusiasm | Francisco | Episode: "#10.3" |
Video games[edit]
| Year | Title | Voice role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | True Crime: New York City | Chief Victor Navarro | [26] |
References[edit]
- ^Esai Morales Biography,archived fromthe originalon 2016-03-04,retrieved2011-08-29
- ^"Esai Morales Biography".BuddyTV.2021-10-26.Archivedfrom the original on 2023-03-21.
- ^Gliatto, Tom (2002-03-25)."Esai Does It".People.Retrieved2017-04-18.
- ^Esai Morales Biography
- ^"Southern Cross (1999)".Blockbuster.Archived fromthe originalon 2012-10-18.
- ^"The Virgin Of Juarez".StarPulse.
- ^"Cast".AmericanFusionTheMovie.com.
- ^"Vanished: Watch the Last Episode of the Cancelled TV Show".tvseriesfinale.com.30 December 2008.
- ^"Esai Morales Cast on Caprica — as Adama's Father".TVGuide.
- ^"Caprica star Esai Morales sees parallels with these great stories".Blastr.
- ^Festival, Noor Iranian Film."2009 Festival Overview".Noor Iranian Film Festival.Retrieved2019-02-18.
- ^"Gun Hill Road".filmcritic.com.Archived fromthe originalon 2011-08-05.
- ^"Interview with Esai Morales".thecelebritycafe.com.Archived fromthe originalon 2011-02-13.
- ^""From Dusk Till Dawn" Casts Its 'Lord Amancio Malvado'".Bloody Disgusting.18 March 2015.
- ^"'Titans': Esai Morales Joins DC Universe As Deathstroke ".Deadline.2019-03-13.Retrieved2019-03-13.
- ^Couch, Aaron (May 21, 2020)."Esai Morales Replaces Nicholas Hoult in 'Mission: Impossible 7'".The Hollywood Reporter.Archivedfrom the original on January 30, 2021.RetrievedApril 28,2022.
- ^Andreas Wiseman (September 28, 2023)."Martin Sensmeier, Ron Perlman, Esai Morales & Eric Nelsen Lead Western 'Cottonmouth'; Filming Underway In Oklahoma".www.deadline.com.RetrievedSeptember 28,2023.
- ^Introducing the actors who bring American Family to life
- ^ASHA and Film/TV Star Esai Morales Collaborate on Safe Listening Public Service Announcement,1 August 2011
- ^Esai Morales Award-Winning Actor & Activist,archived fromthe originalon 2011-09-24
- ^The Gift of Peace
- ^"Famous Vegetarians - Esai Morales".ivu.org.
- ^"Esai Morales Welcomes Daughter Mariana Oliveira".People.com.Retrieved2020-11-17.
- ^"Clue: Actor Morales".crosswordtracker.com.
- ^"Exclusive: Esai Morales JoinsCriminal Mindsas New Section Chief ".TVGuide.com.RetrievedJuly 26,2013.
- ^Surette, Tim (September 19, 2005)."True Crime: NYC cuffs voice talent".GameSpot.RetrievedMay 23,2015.
External links[edit]
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Other | |
- 1962 births
- American male film actors
- American actors of Puerto Rican descent
- American male television actors
- American male voice actors
- Living people
- Male actors from Brooklyn
- Hispanic and Latino American male actors
- Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School alumni
- 20th-century American male actors
- 21st-century American male actors