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 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
La Bamba (1987)
as Bob Morales
Master Gardener (2023)
as Oscar Neruda
The Principal (1987)
as Raymi Rojas
Crescent City (2024)
as Luke Carson
Freejack (1992)
as Ripper
SuperFly (2018)
as Adalberto Gonzalez
Spare Parts (2015)
as Mr. Santillan
In the Army Now (1994)
as Sgt. Stern
Atlas Shrugged: Part II (2012)
as Francisco d'Anconia
My Family (1995)
as Chucho
Jarhead 2: Field of Fire (2014)
as Cpt. Jones
Paid in Full (2002)
as Lulu
Dark Horse (2026)
as Paulo Pontes
Monty and the Movies (—)
as Self (archive footage)
Fast Food Nation (2006)
as Tony
The Real Thing (1996)
as Collin
Art of Love (2021)
Actor
Persephone (—)
Actor
Bloodhounds of Broadway (1989)
as Handsome Jack
Lethal Seduction (2005)
as Rick Benes / David Lopez
ABC's 50th Anniversary Celebration (2003)
as Self
Queen of Manhattan (2025)
as Papi
More Than Miyagi: The Pat Morita Story (2021)
as Self
His Heart (—)
Actor
American Virgin (2000)
as Jim the Director
Scorpion Spring (1996)
as Astor
The Line (2009)
as Pelon
The Adventures of Tom Thumb and Thumbelina (2003)
as Vargas Mouse (voice)
We Have Your Husband (2011)
as Eduardo Valseca
Rapa Nui (1994)
as Make
Don't Do It (1994)
as Charles
Sudbury (2004)
as Gary Hallet
From Dusk Till Dawn: Making the First Season (2014)
Actor
Halfway There (2017)
as Ian Sanchez
Senior Moment (2021)
as Diego Lozana
Once Upon a Wedding (2005)
as Pineda
The Wall of Mexico (2020)
as Henry Arista
Raúl Juliá: The World’s a Stage (2019)
as Self
Find Your Groove (2020)
as Self
The Bronze Screen: 100 Years of the Latino Image in American Cinema (2002)
Actor
A Family in Crisis: The Elian Gonzales Story (2000)
as Juan Miguel Gonzalez
The Virgin of Juarez (2006)
as Father Herrera
Beyond the Border: Latino Representation in Hollywood (2026)
as self
Saving Westbrook High (2013)
as Manny
Naked Tango (1990)
as Zico Borenstein
Death in Granada (1996)
as Ricardo
Tumor (—)
Actor
The Wonderful Ice Cream Suit (1998)
as Dominguez
Southern Cross (1999)
as Philip Solano
Deadlocked: Escape from Zone 14 (1995)
as Tony Archer
King of the Avenue (2010)
as Natas
How to Go Out on a Date in Queens (2006)
as Frankie
The Journey of a Female Comic (2014)
Actor
Cherry (2010)
as Wes
Casa Vita (2016)
as Rodrigo Vita
The Manufacturing of 'Fast Food Nation' (2007)
as Self
Dying to Be Perfect: The Ellen Hart Pena Story (1996)
as Federico Pena
Live Like That (2027)
Actor
The Burning Season (1994)
as Jair
Seattle Superstorm (2012)
as Tom Foster
Living and Working in Space: The Countdown Has Begun (1993)
as Kenny
Forty Deuce (1982)
as Mitchell
Coyote (—)
as Hernán Barroca
Dog Watch (1997)
as Murrow
Imprisoned (2019)
as Governor Mandera
Gun Hill Road (2011)
as Enrique Rodriguez
Kill Kill Faster Faster (2008)
as Markie
Playin' for Love (2015)
as Principle Jose Marti
Give Me Shelter (2014)
as Himself - Animal Advocate
Cottonmouth (2025)
as Abe
Love and Other Stunts (2018)
Actor
Somos un solo pueblo (1995)
as Self
So Much for Love (—)
as Geoffrey
Circle of Deceit (1998)
as Jeff Silva
Celebrity Habla (2009)
as Self
American Fusion (2005)
as Jose
Return to Babylon (2013)
as Assistant Director (scenes deleted)
The Waiter (1993)
as Julius
The Cure (2007)
as Jorge
Live 2 Die (—)
Actor
17th Precinct (2011)
as Liam Butterfield
Doomsday Man (2000)
as Mike
Rainy Day Friends (1985)
as Neekos Valdez
Bay City Story (1992)
Actor
Ultraviolet (1992)
as Nicholas Walker