Esai Morales

Esai Manuel Morales Jr. (born October 1, 1962) is an American actor. He has had notable roles in the films 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 (2001–2004), Joseph Adama in the science fiction series Caprica (2009–2010), Camino del Rio in the Netflix original series Ozark, 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 which he reprised in Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning in 2025.

Early life 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 the International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union. Morales began his pursuit of an acting career by attending the High School of Performing Arts in Manhattan.

Career His first professional performances were in theater and television in New York. His first major film was Bad Boys (1983), about rival teenagers sentenced to a juvenile correction facility. Morales appeared in a 1985 episode of the TV series Fame. He co-starred with Burt Lancaster in the 1986 NBC miniseries On Wings of Eagles, playing the Iranian Rashid, the hero of a true story about Ross Perot. Morales also appeared in Miami Vice, The Equalizer, and 24.

He played Bob Morales, the real-life ex-convict and biker half-brother of 1950s rock and roll singer Ritchie Valens, in La Bamba (1987). He also played Nicholas Walker in Ultraviolet (1992). Some of his other roles have reflected his socio-political interests, such as The Burning Season in 1994, My Family/Mi Familia in 1995, The Disappearance of Garcia Lorca (1997), and Southern Cross (1999). In the latter three films, as well as in others such as Bloodhounds of Broadway (1989) and Rapa-Nui (1994), Morales saw increased amounts of screen time, starting with a role in the Pauly Shore film In The Army Now (1994). He portrayed a police officer in the film Dogwatch (1996) and Father Herrera in The Virgin of Juarez (2006).

In the 1990s, he guest-starred on episodes of The Outer Limits, Tales from the Crypt, and two shorter-lived series, L.A. Doctors and The Hunger. He appeared in a two-part episode of Family Law in 2000. He was part of the main cast of the long-running series NYPD Blue for 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 film Paid in Full. In 2005, he was a voice actor in the video game True Crime: New York City.

Morales was cast in the film American Fusion (2005), and in 2006, he joined the cast of the Fox series Vanished, as FBI agent Michael Tyner; the series ran for one season. In 2007, Morales appeared in an episode of the USA Network drama series Burn Notice, as a Cuban shopkeeper being shaken down for "protection" money by local criminals. In 2008, Morales had a role in the CBS drama Jericho, as Major Edward Beck. He appeared in all seven episodes of the shortened second season. That same year, he appeared in Kill Kill Faster Faster, a film noir based on the novel of the same name by Joel Rose.

Morales played the role of Joseph Adama in the science fiction television series Caprica – Syfy's prequel to the series Battlestar Galactica. The series, though highly anticipated, only ran for one season in 2010. In 2009, he served as an official festival judge for the Noor Iranian Film Festival in Los Angeles.

In 2011, Morales starred in the drama film Gun Hill Road as Enrique, and in the web drama Los Americans airing on PIC.tv. Morales worked with Tony Plana, Yvonne DeLaRosa, Lupe Ontiveros, and JC Gonzalez in Los Americans, an Internet program launched in 2011.

In 2015, Robert Rodriguez cast him as Lord Amancio Malvado for the second season of horror series From Dusk till Dawn: The Series, which was followed in 2017 by a main role in the first season of the Netflix original series Ozark, and then in 2019 in an antagonist role for the second season of the DC Universe superhero series Titans as Slade Wilson / Deathstroke.

Morales appeared in Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One as Gabriel, the film's main villain, a role which he reprised in its sequel Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning.

In 2023, Morales starred in the western thriller Cottonmouth, which is set for release in 2024.

Awards and honors In 2005, Morales (along with Mercedes Ruehl) received the Rita Moreno HOLA Award for Excellence from the Hispanic Organization of Latin Actors (HOLA).

He received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Arpa Foundation for Film, Music and Art, for his impact as an actor and role model.

Activism Morales has described himself as an "actorvist", primarily as one of the founders of the National Hispanic Foundation for the Arts, taking inspiration from his mother, who was an organizer for the International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union. He is also interested in environmental issues and was a founding board member of E.C.O. (Earth Communications Office).

In a February 28, 2007, all-star benefit reading of The Gift of Peace at UCLA's Freud Playhouse, he portrayed a hopeful member of a struggling immigrant family. The play was an open appeal and fundraiser for passage of U.S. House Resolution 808, which sought to establish a Cabinet-level "Department of Peace" in the U.S. government, to be funded by a two percent diversion of the Pentagon's annual budget.

Personal life Morales is a vegetarian. He has a daughter, born in 2010 with his girlfriend Elvimar Silva.

Filmography

+Key Denotes works that have not yet been released

Film Year Title Role Notes 1982 Forty Deuce Mitchell 1983 Bad Boys Paco Moreno 1985 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 1992 Freejack 'Ripper' Ultraviolet Nicholas Walker 1993 The Waiter Julius Short Living and Working in Space: The Countdown Has Begun Kenny Video 1994 Rapa-Nui Make In the Army Now Sergeant Stern Don't Do It Charles 1995 My Family 'Chucho' Scorpion Spring Astor 1996 Livers Ain't Cheap Collin The Disappearance of Garcia Lorca Ricardo Dogwatch Murrow Video 1998 The Wonderful Ice Cream Suit Dominguez 1999 Southern Cross Philip Solano American Virgin Jim The Director 2000 Doomsday Man Mike Spin Cycle Nickens 2002 The Adventures of Tom Thumb and Thumbelina Vergas Mouse (voice) Video Paid in Full Luis "Lulu" Lujano 2005 Once Upon a Wedding Pineda 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 2009 The Line Pelon 2010 Cherry Wes King of the Avenue Natas 2011 Gun Hill Road Enrique 2012 Atlas Shrugged: Part II Francisco D'Anconia 2013 Playin' for Love Principle Jose Martin 2014 Jarhead 2: Field of Fire Captain Jones Video 2015 Spare Parts Mr. Santillan 2016 Never Back Down: No Surrender Hugo Vega 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 Queen of Manhattan Papi Master Gardener Oscar Neruda 2023 Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One Gabriel 2024 Crescent City Luke 2025 Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning Gabriel 2026 War Machine Torres TBD The Latin from Manhattan Papi Post-production TBD Tumor Gibson Post-production

Television 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" Miami Vice Pete Romano Episode: "The Home Invaders" 1986 On Wings of Eagles Rashid Episode: "Part I & II" 1987 Miami Vice Felipe Cruz Episode: "God's Work" 1989 The Twilight Zone Jesse Cardiff Episode: "A Game of Pool" 1991–92 The Legend of Prince Valiant Various Roles (voice) Recurring cast (season 1) 1992 Bay City Story Jim Duran TV movie 1994 Tales from the Crypt 'Puck' Episode: "The Bribe" The Burning Season Jair TV movie 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 Episode: "Part I & II" 2000 A Family in Crisis: The Elian Gonzales Story Juan Miguel Gonzalez TV movie Family Law Mr. Santiago Episode: "Telling Lies, Conclusion" 2000–02 Resurrection Blvd. Paco Corrales Recurring cast (season 1-2), guest (season 3) 2001–04 NYPD Blue Lieutenant Tony Rodriguez Main cast (season 8-11) 2002 American Family Esteban Gonzalez Recurring cast (season 1) George Lopez Manny Lopez Episode: "Who's Your Daddy?" 2002–03 Dora the Explorer Papi (voice) Recurring cast (season 2) 2005 Heartless Rick Benes/David Lopez TV movie Freddie Carlos Episode: "The Courtship of Freddie's Father" 2006 Vanished Michael Tyner Recurring cast 2007 24: Day 6 Debrief Agent Jorge Ramirez Recurring cast (season 6) Burn Notice Ernie Paseo Episode: "Broken Rules" 2008 Jericho Major Edward Beck Recurring cast (season 2) 2009–10 Caprica Joseph Adama Main cast 2010 CSI: Miami Stephen Madsen Episode: "All Fall Down"2011 Los Americans Leandro 'Lee' Valenzuela Main cast We Have Your Husband Eduardo Valseca TV movie 2011–12 Fairly Legal District Attorney Aaron Davidson Guest (season 1), recurring cast (season 2) 2012 Seattle Superstorm Tom TV movie Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Jimmy Vasquez Episode: "Home Invasions" 2013 Magic City Carlos "El Tiburon" Ruiz Recurring cast (season 2) Major Crimes Deputy Diaz Episode: "Jailbait" Teachers Manny TV movie 2013–15 Criminal Minds Section Chief Mateo 'Matt' Cruz Guest (season 9), recurring cast (season 10) 2014 Cleaners Father Brooks Recurring cast (season 2) 2015 The Brink President Julian Navarro Main cast From Dusk till Dawn: The Series Lord Amancio Malvado Main cast (season 2) Mozart in the Jungle Juan Delgado Recurring cast (season 2) 2015–16 Blue Bloods Sergeant Trey Delgado Guest cast (season 6-7) 2016 Casa Vita Rodrigo Vita TV movie Hit the Floor Joe Desario Episode: "Til Death Do Us Part" Adam Ruins Everything Alfonso Episode: "Adam Ruins Immigration" 2016–20 How to Get Away with Murder Jorge Castillo Recurring cast (season 3-4 & 6) 2017 Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders Section Chief Mateo 'Matt' Cruz Episode: "La Huesuda" Ozark Camino Del Rio Main cast (season 1) Chicago P.D. Police Chief Lugo Recurring cast (season 4), guest (season 5) 2018 Mars Roland St. John Recurring cast (season 2) 2018–19 NCIS: Los Angeles NCIS Deputy Director Louis Ochoa Recurring cast (season 10) 2019 Titans Slade Wilson / Deathstroke Main cast (season 2); 9 episodes 2020 Curb Your Enthusiasm Francisco Episode: "Artificial Fruit" 2025 Side Quest Gustavo Episode: "Fugue"

Video game Year Title Voice role Notes 2005True Crime: New York City Chief Victor Navarro