Esai Morales

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

Law & Order: Special Victims Unit

Criminal Minds

CSI: Miami

Real Time with Bill Maher

Chicago P.D.

NCIS: Los Angeles

NYPD Blue

Curb Your Enthusiasm

All Movies (84)

• Live Like That2027
• Dark Horse2026 · as Paulo Pontes
• War Machine2026 · as Army Officer Torres
• Queen of Manhattan2025 · as Papi
• Cottonmouth2025 · as Abe
• Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning2025 · as Gabriel
• Crescent City2024 · as Luke Carson
• Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One2023 · as Gabriel
• Master Gardener2023 · as Oscar Neruda
• Art of Love2021
• Senior Moment2021 · as Diego Lozana
• More Than Miyagi: The Pat Morita Story2021 · as Self
• The Wall of Mexico2020 · as Henry Arista
• Find Your Groove2020 · as Self
• Raúl Juliá: The World’s a Stage2019 · as Self
• Imprisoned2019 · as Governor Mandera
• SuperFly2018 · as Adalberto Gonzalez
• Love and Other Stunts2018
• Halfway There2017 · as Ian Sanchez
• Never Back Down: No Surrender2016 · as Hugo Vega
• Casa Vita2016 · as Rodrigo Vita
• Spare Parts2015 · as Mr. Santillan
• Playin' for Love2015 · as Principle Jose Marti
• Jarhead 2: Field of Fire2014 · as Cpt. Jones
• Give Me Shelter2014 · as Himself - Animal Advocate
• The Journey of a Female Comic2014
• From Dusk Till Dawn: Making the First Season2014
• Saving Westbrook High2013 · as Manny
• Atlas Shrugged: Part II2012 · as Francisco d'Anconia
• Seattle Superstorm2012 · as Tom Foster
• 17th Precinct2011 · as Liam Butterfield
• We Have Your Husband2011 · as Eduardo Valseca
• Gun Hill Road2011 · as Enrique Rodriguez
• Cherry2010 · as Wes
• King of the Avenue2010 · as Natas
• Celebrity Habla2009 · as Self
• The Line2009 · as Pelon
• Kill Kill Faster Faster2008 · as Markie
• The Cure2007 · as Jorge
• The Manufacturing of 'Fast Food Nation'2007 · as Self
• Fast Food Nation2006 · as Tony
• How to Go Out on a Date in Queens2006 · as Frankie
• The Virgin of Juarez2006 · as Father Herrera
• Once Upon a Wedding2005 · as Pineda
• Lethal Seduction2005 · as Rick Benes / David Lopez
• American Fusion2005 · as Jose
• Sudbury2004 · as Gary Hallet
• The Adventures of Tom Thumb and Thumbelina2003 · as Vargas Mouse (voice)
• ABC's 50th Anniversary Celebration2003 · as Self
• Paid in Full2002 · as Lulu
• The Bronze Screen: 100 Years of the Latino Image in American Cinema2002
• Doomsday Man2000 · as Mike
• A Family in Crisis: The Elian Gonzales Story2000 · as Juan Miguel Gonzalez
• American Virgin2000 · as Jim the Director
• Southern Cross1999 · as Philip Solano
• Circle of Deceit1998 · as Jeff Silva
• The Wonderful Ice Cream Suit1998 · as Dominguez
• Dog Watch1997 · as Murrow
• Dying to Be Perfect: The Ellen Hart Pena Story1996 · as Federico Pena
• Death in Granada1996 · as Ricardo
• Scorpion Spring1996 · as Astor
• The Real Thing1996 · as Collin
• Somos un solo pueblo1995 · as Self
• Deadlocked: Escape from Zone 141995 · as Tony Archer
• My Family1995 · as Chucho
• Don't Do It1994 · as Charles
• The Burning Season1994 · as Jair
• In the Army Now1994 · as Sgt. Stern
• Rapa Nui1994 · as Make
• The Waiter1993 · as Julius
• Living and Working in Space: The Countdown Has Begun1993 · as Kenny
• Ultraviolet1992 · as Nicholas Walker
• Freejack1992 · as Ripper
• Bay City Story1992
• Naked Tango1990 · as Zico Borenstein
• Bloodhounds of Broadway1989 · as Handsome Jack
• The Principal1987 · as Raymi Rojas
• La Bamba1987 · as Bob Morales
• Rainy Day Friends1985 · as Neekos Valdez
• Bad Boys1983 · as Paco Moreno
• Forty Deuce1982 · as Mitchell
• So Much for Love— · as Geoffrey
• Coyote— · as Hernán Barroca
• Tumor—

All TV Shows (46)

• Side Quest2025 · as Gustavo
• Can't Go Home2023 · as Victor Castelo
• Titans2018 · as Slade Wilson / Deathstroke
• Ozark2017 · as Camino 'Del' Del Rio
• Mars2016 · as Mike Glenn / Lt. Michael Glenn
• Adam Ruins Everything2015
• The Brink2015 · as President Julian Navarro
• How to Get Away with Murder2014 · as Jorge Castillo
• From Dusk Till Dawn: The Series2014 · as Amancio Malvado
• Mozart in the Jungle2014 · as Juan Delgado
• Chicago P.D.2014 · as Chief Lugo
• Major Crimes2012 · as Deputy Manuel Diaz
• Fairly Legal2011 · as Aaron Davidson
• Caprica2010 · as Joseph Adama
• Celebrity Ghost Stories2009 · as Self
• NCIS: Los Angeles2009 · as Louis Ochoa
• Burn Notice2007 · as Ernie Paseo
• 24: Day six Debrief2007 · as Agent Jorge Ramirez
• Jericho2006 · as Major Edward Beck
• Vanished2006 · as Michael Tyner
• Freddie2005 · as Carlos
• Criminal Minds2005 · as Mateo Cruz
• On Air with Ryan Seacrest2004 · as Self
• Celebrities Uncensored2003 · as Self
• Real Time with Bill Maher2003 · as Self
• CSI: Miami2002 · as Stephen Madsen
• George Lopez2002 · as Manny Lopez
• American Family2002 · as Esteban Gonzalez
• Curb Your Enthusiasm2000 · as Francisco
• Dora the Explorer2000 · as Papi (voice)
• Family Law1999 · as Mr. Santiago
• Law & Order: Special Victims Unit1999 · as Jimmy Vazquez
• Atomic Train1999 · as Noris MacKenzie
• L.A. Doctors1998 · as Vince Duralde
• The Hunger1997 · as Tony
• The Outer Limits1995 · as Frank Kelton
• NYPD Blue1993 · as Tony Rodriguez
• Tales from the Crypt1989 · as Puck
• On Wings of Eagles1986 · as Rashid
• The Twilight Zone1985
• The Equalizer1985 · as Officer Miguel Canterra
• Miami Vice1984 · as Felipe Cruz
• Miami Vice1984 · as Pete Romano
• Fame1982
• Company Town— · as Ray Dupre
• The Americans— · as Lee Valenzuela