Esai Morales
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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
War Machine (2026)
as Army Officer Torres
Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning (2025)
as Gabriel
Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One (2023)
as Gabriel
Never Back Down: No Surrender (2016)
as Hugo Vega
Bad Boys (1983)
as Paco Moreno
Dark Horse (2026)
as Paulo Pontes
SuperFly (2018)
as Adalberto Gonzalez
La Bamba (1987)
as Bob Morales
Lethal Seduction (2005)
as Rick Benes / David Lopez
Freejack (1992)
as Ripper
Paid in Full (2002)
as Lulu
My Family (1995)
as Chucho
The Principal (1987)
as Raymi Rojas
Fast Food Nation (2006)
as Tony
Rapa Nui (1994)
as Make
Naked Tango (1990)
as Zico Borenstein
Spare Parts (2015)
as Mr. Santillan
The Line (2009)
as Pelon
Master Gardener (2023)
as Oscar Neruda
Crescent City (2024)
as Luke Carson
Atlas Shrugged: Part II (2012)
as Francisco d'Anconia
Jarhead 2: Field of Fire (2014)
as Cpt. Jones
Art of Love (2021)
Actor
In the Army Now (1994)
as Sgt. Stern
ABC's 50th Anniversary Celebration (2003)
as Self
Casa Vita (2016)
as Rodrigo Vita
Saving Westbrook High (2013)
as Manny
Dog Watch (1997)
as Murrow
Senior Moment (2021)
as Diego Lozana
Sudbury (2004)
as Gary Hallet
Cherry (2010)
as Wes
American Virgin (2000)
as Jim the Director
More Than Miyagi: The Pat Morita Story (2021)
as Self
17th Precinct (2011)
as Liam Butterfield
We Have Your Husband (2011)
as Eduardo Valseca
Cottonmouth (2025)
as Abe
Queen of Manhattan (2025)
as Papi
The Cure (2007)
as Jorge
The Adventures of Tom Thumb and Thumbelina (2003)
as Vargas Mouse (voice)
Scorpion Spring (1996)
as Astor
Don't Do It (1994)
as Charles
The Burning Season (1994)
as Jair
Live Like That (2027)
Actor
Gun Hill Road (2011)
as Enrique Rodriguez
Bloodhounds of Broadway (1989)
as Handsome Jack
Seattle Superstorm (2012)
as Tom Foster
American Fusion (2005)
as Jose
Death in Granada (1996)
as Ricardo
Imprisoned (2019)
as Governor Mandera
The Waiter (1993)
as Julius
Southern Cross (1999)
as Philip Solano
Raúl Juliá: The World’s a Stage (2019)
as Self
The Real Thing (1996)
as Collin
Tumor (—)
Actor
The Manufacturing of 'Fast Food Nation' (2007)
as Self
Halfway There (2017)
as Ian Sanchez
Doomsday Man (2000)
as Mike
From Dusk Till Dawn: Making the First Season (2014)
Actor
Deadlocked: Escape from Zone 14 (1995)
as Tony Archer
Forty Deuce (1982)
as Mitchell
King of the Avenue (2010)
as Natas
The Wall of Mexico (2020)
as Henry Arista
Dying to Be Perfect: The Ellen Hart Pena Story (1996)
as Federico Pena
The Wonderful Ice Cream Suit (1998)
as Dominguez
The Virgin of Juarez (2006)
as Father Herrera
Find Your Groove (2020)
as Self
Circle of Deceit (1998)
as Jeff Silva
How to Go Out on a Date in Queens (2006)
as Frankie
Coyote (—)
as Hernán Barroca
Living and Working in Space: The Countdown Has Begun (1993)
as Kenny
The Bronze Screen: 100 Years of the Latino Image in American Cinema (2002)
Actor
Give Me Shelter (2014)
as Himself - Animal Advocate
Once Upon a Wedding (2005)
as Pineda
Playin' for Love (2015)
as Principle Jose Marti
Kill Kill Faster Faster (2008)
as Markie
So Much for Love (—)
as Geoffrey
Celebrity Habla (2009)
as Self
A Family in Crisis: The Elian Gonzales Story (2000)
as Juan Miguel Gonzalez
The Journey of a Female Comic (2014)
Actor
Ultraviolet (1992)
as Nicholas Walker
Somos un solo pueblo (1995)
as Self
Love and Other Stunts (2018)
Actor
Bay City Story (1992)
Actor
Rainy Day Friends (1985)
as Neekos Valdez