Acting
Esai Morales
EN, ES cinema · 91 credits
Born
1 October 1962 (age 64)
Birthplace
Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA
Also known as 에사이 모레일스 · ایسای مورالس · إساي مورالس · אסאי מוראלס · 伊塞·莫瑞 · Esai Manuel Morales Jr.
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
So Much for Love
So Much for Love
as Geoffrey
Coyote
as Hernán Barroca, Producer
Live 2 Die
Live 2 Die
Actor, Producer
Monty and the Movies
as Self (archive footage)
His Heart
His Heart
Actor, Executive Producer
Dark Horse
as Paulo Pontes
War Machine
as Torres
Cottonmouth
as Abe
Crescent City
as Luke Carson
Master Gardener
as Oscar Neruda
Senior Moment
as Diego Lozana
The Wall of Mexico
as Henry Arista
Imprisoned
as Governor Mandera
SuperFly
as Adalberto Gonzalez
Halfway There
as Ian Sanchez
Never Back Down: No Surrender
as Hugo Vega
Casa Vita
as Rodrigo Vita
Spare Parts
as Mr. Santillan
Playin' for Love
as Principle Jose Marti
Jarhead 2: Field of Fire
as Cpt. Jones
Give Me Shelter
2014
Give Me Shelter
as Self - Animal Advocate
Return to Babylon
as Assistant Director (scenes deleted)
Seattle Superstorm
as Tom Foster
Atlas Shrugged: Part II
as Francisco d'Anconia
Gun Hill Road
as Enrique Rodriguez
We Have Your Husband
as Eduardo Valseca
17th Precinct
as Liam Butterfield
Cherry
as Wes
King of the Avenue
as Natas
The Line
as Pelon
Kill Kill Faster Faster
as Markie
The Cure
as Jorge
Fast Food Nation
as Tony
The Virgin of Juarez
as Father Herrera
Once Upon a Wedding
as Pineda
American Fusion
as Jose
Lethal Seduction
as Rick Benes / David Lopez
Sudbury
as Gary Hallet
The Adventures of Tom Thumb and Thumbelina
as Vargas Mouse (voice)
Paid in Full
as Lulu
Doomsday Man
as Mike, Second Unit Director
American Virgin
as Jim the Director
A Family in Crisis: The Elian Gonzales Story
as Juan Miguel Gonzalez
Southern Cross
as Philip Solano
The Wonderful Ice Cream Suit
as Dominguez
Circle of Deceit
as Jeff Silva
Dog Watch
as Murrow
Death in Granada
as Ricardo
Scorpion Spring
as Astor
The Real Thing
as Collin
Dying to Be Perfect: The Ellen Hart Pena Story
as Federico Pena
My Family
as Chucho
Deadlocked: Escape from Zone 14
as Tony Archer
Rapa Nui
as Make
In the Army Now
as Sgt. Stern
Don't Do It
as Charles
The Waiter
1993
The Waiter
as Julius
Freejack
as Ripper
Ultraviolet
as Nicholas Walker
Naked Tango
as Zico Borenstein
Bloodhounds of Broadway
as Handsome Jack
La Bamba
as Bob Morales
The Principal
as Raymi Rojas
Rainy Day Friends
as Neekos Valdez
Bad Boys
as Paco Moreno
Forty Deuce
as Mitchell