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
- 2026 · Dark Horse as Paulo Pontes
- 2026 · War Machine as Army Officer Torres
- 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
- 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 · From Dusk Till Dawn: The Series as Amancio Malvado
- 2014 · Mozart in the Jungle as Juan Delgado
- 2014 · Chicago P.D. as Chief Lugo
- 2012 · Atlas Shrugged: Part II as Francisco d'Anconia
- 2012 · Major Crimes as Deputy Manuel Diaz
- 2011 · Fairly Legal as Aaron Davidson
- 2010 · Caprica as Joseph Adama
- 2009 · Celebrity Ghost Stories as Self
- 2009 · NCIS: Los Angeles as Louis Ochoa
- 2007 · Burn Notice as Ernie Paseo
- 2006 · Fast Food Nation as Tony
- 2006 · Jericho as Major Edward Beck
- 2006 · Vanished as Michael Tyner
- 2005 · Freddie as Carlos
- 2005 · Criminal Minds as Mateo Cruz
- 2005 · Lethal Seduction as Rick Benes / David Lopez
- 2004 · On Air with Ryan Seacrest 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 · 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
- 1997 · The Hunger as Tony
- 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
- 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 · Fame as
- Future · Tumor as
- 2027 · Live Like That as
- 2025 · Queen of Manhattan as Papi
- 2025 · Cottonmouth as Abe
- 2021 · Senior Moment as Diego Lozana
- 2019 · Imprisoned as Governor Mandera
- 2016 · Casa Vita as Rodrigo Vita
- 2014 · Jarhead 2: Field of Fire as Cpt. Jones
- 2014 · Give Me Shelter as Himself - Animal Advocate
- 2014 · From Dusk Till Dawn: Making the First Season as
- 2013 · Saving Westbrook High as Manny
- 2012 · Seattle Superstorm as Tom Foster
- 2011 · 17th Precinct as Liam Butterfield
- 2011 · We Have Your Husband as Eduardo Valseca
- 2011 · Gun Hill Road as Enrique Rodriguez
- 2010 · Cherry as Wes
- 2009 · The Line as Pelon
- 2007 · 24: Day six Debrief as Agent Jorge Ramirez
- 2005 · American Fusion as Jose
- 2004 · Sudbury as Gary Hallet
- 2003 · ABC's 50th Anniversary Celebration as Self
- 2000 · Doomsday Man as Mike
- 2000 · American Virgin as Jim the Director
- 1999 · Southern Cross as Philip Solano
- 1996 · Death in Granada as Ricardo
- 1996 · Scorpion Spring as Astor
- 1996 · The Real Thing as Collin
- 1994 · Don't Do It as Charles
- 1993 · The Waiter as Julius
- 1989 · Bloodhounds of Broadway as Handsome Jack
- Future · Coyote as Hernán Barroca
- 1982 · Forty Deuce as Mitchell
- Future · Company Town as Ray Dupre
- Future · The Americans as Lee Valenzuela
- 2021 · More Than Miyagi: The Pat Morita Story as Self
- 2020 · The Wall of Mexico as Henry Arista
- 2020 · Find Your Groove as Self
- 2019 · Raúl Juliá: The World’s a Stage as Self
- 2018 · Love and Other Stunts as
- 2015 · Playin' for Love as Principle Jose Marti
- 2014 · The Journey of a Female Comic as
- 2010 · King of the Avenue as Natas
- 2009 · Celebrity Habla as Self
- 2008 · Kill Kill Faster Faster as Markie
- 2007 · The Cure as Jorge
- 2007 · The Manufacturing of 'Fast Food Nation' as Self
- 2006 · How to Go Out on a Date in Queens as Frankie
- 2006 · The Virgin of Juarez as Father Herrera
- 2005 · Once Upon a Wedding as Pineda
- 2003 · The Adventures of Tom Thumb and Thumbelina as Vargas Mouse (voice)
- 2003 · Celebrities Uncensored as Self
- 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
- 1998 · Circle of Deceit as Jeff Silva
- 1998 · The Wonderful Ice Cream Suit as Dominguez
- 1997 · Dog Watch as Murrow
- 1996 · Dying to Be Perfect: The Ellen Hart Pena Story as Federico Pena
- 1995 · Somos un solo pueblo as Self
- 1995 · Deadlocked: Escape from Zone 14 as Tony Archer
- 1994 · The Burning Season as Jair
- 1993 · Living and Working in Space: The Countdown Has Begun as Kenny
- 1992 · Ultraviolet as Nicholas Walker
- 1992 · Bay City Story as
- 1985 · Rainy Day Friends as Neekos Valdez
- Future · So Much for Love as Geoffrey




