Esai Morales
- Acting
- October 1, 1962 · Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA
Biography
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
Filmography
- Live Like That
- Dark Horse · Paulo Pontes
- Beyond the Border: Latino Representation in Hollywood · Self
- War Machine · Torres
- Queen of Manhattan · Papi
- Cottonmouth · Abe
- Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning · Gabriel
- Side Quest · Gustavo
- Crescent City · Luke Carson
- Can't Go Home · Victor Castelo
- Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One · Gabriel
- Master Gardener · Oscar Neruda
- Art of Love
- Senior Moment · Diego Lozana
- More Than Miyagi: The Pat Morita Story · Self
- The Wall of Mexico · Henry Arista
- Find Your Groove · Self
- Raúl Juliá: The World’s a Stage · Self
- Imprisoned · Governor Mandera
- Titans · Slade Wilson / Deathstroke
- SuperFly · Adalberto Gonzalez
- Love and Other Stunts
- Halfway There · Ian Sanchez
- Ozark · Camino 'Del' Del Rio
- Mars · Mike Glenn / Lt. Michael Glenn
- Never Back Down: No Surrender · Hugo Vega
- Casa Vita · Rodrigo Vita
- Adam Ruins Everything
- The Brink · President Julian Navarro
- Spare Parts · Mr. Santillan
- Playin' for Love · Principle Jose Marti
- How to Get Away with Murder · Jorge Castillo
- Jarhead 2: Field of Fire · Cpt. Jones
- Give Me Shelter · Self
- The Journey of a Female Comic
- From Dusk Till Dawn: Making the First Season
- From Dusk Till Dawn: The Series · Amancio Malvado
- Mozart in the Jungle · Juan Delgado
- Chicago P.D. · Chief Lugo
- Saving Westbrook High · Manny
- Return to Babylon · Assistant Director (scenes deleted)
- Atlas Shrugged: Part II · Francisco d'Anconia
- Major Crimes · Deputy Manuel Diaz
- Seattle Superstorm · Tom Foster
- 17th Precinct · Liam Butterfield
- We Have Your Husband · Eduardo Valseca
- Gun Hill Road · Enrique Rodriguez
- Fairly Legal · Aaron Davidson
- Cherry · Wes
- King of the Avenue · Natas
- Caprica · Joseph Adama
- Celebrity Ghost Stories · Self
- Celebrity Habla · Self
- NCIS: Los Angeles · Louis Ochoa
- The Line · Pelon
- Kill Kill Faster Faster · Markie
- The Cure · Jorge
- Burn Notice · Ernie Paseo
- 24: Day six Debrief · Agent Jorge Ramirez
- The Manufacturing of 'Fast Food Nation' · Self
- Fast Food Nation · Tony
- Jericho · Major Edward Beck
- Vanished · Michael Tyner
- How to Go Out on a Date in Queens · Frankie
- The Virgin of Juarez · Father Herrera
- Freddie · Carlos
- Criminal Minds · Mateo Cruz
- Once Upon a Wedding · Pineda
- Lethal Seduction · Rick Benes / David Lopez
- American Fusion · Jose
- Sudbury · Gary Hallet
- On Air with Ryan Seacrest · Self
- The Adventures of Tom Thumb and Thumbelina · Vargas Mouse (Voice)
- Celebrities Uncensored · Self
- ABC's 50th Anniversary Celebration · Self
- Real Time with Bill Maher · Self
- Paid in Full · Lulu
- CSI: Miami · Stephen Madsen
- The Bronze Screen: 100 Years of the Latino Image in American Cinema
- George Lopez · Manny Lopez