Esai Morales
Esai Manuel Morales Jr. (born October 1, 1962) is an American actor. He has had notable roles in Bad Boys with Sean Penn and La Bamba with Lou Diamond Phillips. His television roles include the PBS 2002 drama series American Family, the Showtime series Resurrection Blvd. (2000–2002), portraying Lt. Tony Rodriguez on NYPD Blue (2001–2003), Joseph Adama in the science fiction series Caprica (2009–2010), Camino del Rio in the Netflix original series Ozark (2017), and the DC Comics supervillain Slade Wilson / Deathstroke in the superhero series Titans (2019). Morales appeared as Gabriel, the main antagonist in the 2023 spy action film Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One opposite Tom Cruise, a role reprised in Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning in 2025.
Known For
Credits
- 2027 · Live Like That as
- 2026 · Dark Horse as Paulo Pontes
- 2026 · War Machine as Army Officer Torres
- 2025 · Queen of Manhattan as Papi
- 2025 · Cottonmouth as Abe
- 2025 · Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning as Gabriel
- 2025 · Side Quest as Gustavo
- 2024 · Crescent City as Luke Carson
- 2023 · Can't Go Home as Victor Castelo
- 2023 · Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One as Gabriel
- 2023 · Master Gardener as Oscar Neruda
- 2021 · Art of Love as
- 2021 · Senior Moment as Diego Lozana
- 2020 · The Wall of Mexico as Henry Arista
- 2020 · Find Your Groove as Self
- 2019 · Imprisoned as Governor Mandera
- 2018 · Titans as Slade Wilson / Deathstroke
- 2018 · SuperFly as Adalberto Gonzalez
- 2017 · Halfway There as Ian Sanchez
- 2017 · Ozark as Camino 'Del' Del Rio
- 2016 · Mars as Mike Glenn / Lt. Michael Glenn
- 2016 · Never Back Down: No Surrender as Hugo Vega
- 2015 · Adam Ruins Everything as
- 2015 · The Brink as President Julian Navarro
- 2015 · Spare Parts as Mr. Santillan
- 2014 · How to Get Away with Murder as Jorge Castillo
- 2014 · Jarhead 2: Field of Fire as Cpt. Jones
- 2014 · From Dusk Till Dawn: The Series as Amancio Malvado
- 2014 · Mozart in the Jungle as Juan Delgado
- 2014 · Chicago P.D. as Chief Lugo
- 2013 · Saving Westbrook High as Manny
- 2012 · Atlas Shrugged: Part II as Francisco d'Anconia
- 2012 · Major Crimes as Deputy Manuel Diaz
- 2012 · Seattle Superstorm as Tom Foster
- 2011 · We Have Your Husband as Eduardo Valseca
- 2011 · Gun Hill Road as Enrique Rodriguez
- 2011 · Fairly Legal as Aaron Davidson
- 2010 · Cherry as Wes
- 2010 · Caprica as Joseph Adama
- 2009 · Celebrity Ghost Stories as Self
- 2009 · NCIS: Los Angeles as Louis Ochoa
- 2009 · The Line as Pelon
- 2008 · Kill Kill Faster Faster as Markie
- 2007 · Burn Notice as Ernie Paseo
- 2007 · The Manufacturing of 'Fast Food Nation' as Self
- 2006 · Fast Food Nation as Tony
- 2006 · Jericho as Major Edward Beck
- 2006 · Vanished as
- 2005 · Freddie as Carlos
- 2005 · Criminal Minds as Mateo Cruz
- 2005 · Once Upon a Wedding as Pineda
- 2005 · Lethal Seduction as Rick Benes / David Lopez
- 2004 · On Air with Ryan Seacrest as Self
- 2004 · Sudbury as Gary Hallet
- 2003 · The Adventures of Tom Thumb and Thumbelina as Vargas Mouse (voice)
- 2003 · ABC's 50th Anniversary Celebration as Self
- 2003 · Real Time with Bill Maher as Self
- 2002 · Paid in Full as Lulu
- 2002 · CSI: Miami as Stephen Madsen
- 2002 · George Lopez as Manny Lopez
- 2002 · American Family as Esteban Gonzalez
- 2000 · Doomsday Man as Mike
- 2000 · Curb Your Enthusiasm as Francisco
- 2000 · Dora the Explorer as Papi (voice)
- 1999 · Law & Order: Special Victims Unit as Jimmy Vazquez
- 1999 · Family Law as Mr. Santiago
- 1999 · Atomic Train as Noris MacKenzie
- 1998 · L.A. Doctors as Vince Duralde
- 1998 · The Wonderful Ice Cream Suit as Dominguez
- 1997 · Dog Watch as Murrow
- 1997 · The Hunger as Tony
- 1996 · Death in Granada as Ricardo
- 1996 · Scorpion Spring as Astor
- 1996 · The Real Thing as Collin
- 1995 · Deadlocked: Escape from Zone 14 as Tony Archer
- 1995 · My Family as Chucho
- 1995 · The Outer Limits as Frank Kelton
- 1994 · In the Army Now as Sgt. Stern
- 1994 · Rapa Nui as Make
- 1993 · NYPD Blue as Tony Rodriguez
- 1993 · Living and Working in Space: The Countdown Has Begun as Kenny
- 1992 · Freejack as Ripper
- 1990 · Naked Tango as Zico Borenstein
- 1989 · Tales from the Crypt as Puck
- 1987 · The Principal as Raymi Rojas
- 1987 · La Bamba as Bob Morales
- 1986 · On Wings of Eagles as Rashid
- 1985 · The Twilight Zone as
- 1985 · The Equalizer as Officer Miguel Canterra
- 1984 · Miami Vice as Felipe Cruz
- 1984 · Miami Vice as Pete Romano
- 1983 · Bad Boys as Paco Moreno
- 1982 · Forty Deuce as Mitchell
- 1982 · Fame as
- Future · Company Town as Ray Dupre
- 1989 · Bloodhounds of Broadway as Handsome Jack
- Future · Coyote as Hernán Barroca
- 2021 · More Than Miyagi: The Pat Morita Story as Self
- 2018 · Love and Other Stunts as
- 2016 · Casa Vita as Rodrigo Vita
- 2015 · Playin' for Love as Principle Jose Marti
- 2014 · Give Me Shelter as Himself - Animal Advocate
- 2014 · The Journey of a Female Comic as
- 2011 · 17th Precinct as Liam Butterfield
- 2010 · King of the Avenue as Natas
- 2009 · Celebrity Habla as Self
- 2007 · The Cure as Jorge
- 2006 · The Virgin of Juarez as Father Herrera
- 2003 · Celebrities Uncensored as Self
- 1998 · Circle of Deceit as Jeff Silva
- Future · Tumor as
- 2019 · Raúl Juliá: The World’s a Stage as Self
- 2014 · From Dusk Till Dawn: Making the First Season as
- 2007 · 24: Day six Debrief as Agent Jorge Ramirez
- 2006 · How to Go Out on a Date in Queens as Frankie
- 2005 · American Fusion as Jose
- 2002 · The Bronze Screen: 100 Years of the Latino Image in American Cinema as
- 2000 · A Family in Crisis: The Elian Gonzales Story as Juan Miguel Gonzalez
- 2000 · American Virgin as Jim the Director
- 1999 · Southern Cross as Philip Solano
- 1996 · Dying to Be Perfect: The Ellen Hart Pena Story as Federico Pena
- 1994 · Don't Do It as Charles
- 1994 · The Burning Season as Jair
- 1993 · The Waiter as Julius
- Future · The Americans as Lee Valenzuela
- Future · So Much for Love as Geoffrey
- 1995 · Somos un solo pueblo as Self
- 1992 · Ultraviolet as Nicholas Walker
- 1992 · Bay City Story as
- 1985 · Rainy Day Friends as Neekos Valdez