Esai Morales facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Esai Morales
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Morales in 2009
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| Born |
Esai Manuel Morales Jr.
October 1, 1962 |
| Education | School of Performing Arts |
| Occupation |
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| Years active | 1982–present |
| Spouse(s) |
Elvimar Silva
(m. 2010) |
| Children | 1 |
Esai Manuel Morales Jr. (born October 1, 1962) is an American actor. He is known for his roles in movies like Bad Boys and La Bamba. He has also been in many TV shows. These include NYPD Blue, Caprica, Ozark, and Titans. More recently, he played the main bad guy, Gabriel, in the 2023 spy movie Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One with Tom Cruise. He will play this role again in the next Mission: Impossible movie in 2025.
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Early Life and Beginnings
Esai Morales was born in Brooklyn, New York. His family is from Puerto Rico. His dad was a welder, and his mom was a union activist. This means she worked to help people get fair treatment in their jobs. Esai started acting by going to the School of Performing Arts in Manhattan. This school helps young people learn how to act, sing, and dance.
Acting Career Highlights
Esai Morales started his acting career in theater and TV shows in New York. His first big movie was Bad Boys in 1983. It was about two rival teenagers in a juvenile correction center. He also appeared in a TV show called Fame in 1985.
One of his most famous roles was in the 1987 movie La Bamba. He played Bob Morales, the older half-brother of the famous rock and roll singer Ritchie Valens. Esai has also been in other popular TV shows like Miami Vice, The Equalizer, and 24.
He played a police officer in the movie Dogwatch in 1996. In the 1990s, he appeared in episodes of The Outer Limits and Tales from the Crypt. From 2001 to 2004, he was a main character on the TV series NYPD Blue. He played Lieutenant Tony Rodriguez, who was the head of a detective squad.
In 2005, Esai Morales lent his voice to the video game True Crime: New York City. He also joined the cast of the TV series Vanished in 2006. In 2008, he had a role in the CBS show Jericho as Major Edward Beck.
He played Joseph Adama in the science fiction TV series Caprica from 2009 to 2010. This show was a prequel to Battlestar Galactica. In 2011, he starred in the movie Gun Hill Road. He also worked on an online show called Los Americans.
Later, in 2015, he played Lord Amancio Malvado in the horror series From Dusk till Dawn: The Series. In 2017, he had a main role in the first season of the Netflix series Ozark. In 2019, he played the supervillain Deathstroke in the superhero series Titans.
His most recent big role is Gabriel, the main villain in Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One (2023). He will play this character again in the next movie, Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning. In 2023, he also starred in the western thriller Cottonmouth.
Awards and Recognition
Esai Morales has received awards for his acting and for being a good role model. In 2005, he received the Rita Moreno HOLA Award for Excellence. This award came from the Hispanic Organization of Latin Actors (HOLA). He also received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Arpa Foundation for Film, Music and Art. This award recognized his important impact as an actor and role model.
Activism and Community Work
Esai Morales calls himself an "actorvist." This means he is an actor who is also very active in social causes. He helped start the National Hispanic Foundation for the Arts. He was inspired by his mother, who worked to help people in unions. He is also interested in protecting the environment. He was a founding board member of E.C.O. (Earth Communications Office). This group works to spread messages about environmental issues.
He has participated in events to support important causes. For example, he was part of a special reading of a play called The Gift of Peace. This event helped raise money and support for creating a "Department of Peace" in the U.S. government.
Personal Life
Esai Morales is a vegetarian. He has one daughter, who was born in 2010.
His first name, Esai, is sometimes used in crossword puzzles. This is because it's a four-letter word with many vowels, which makes it interesting for puzzle makers.
