Morales, Esai 1962-

PERSONAL

Full name, Esai Manuel Morales; born October 1, 1962, in Brooklyn, NY; son of Esai (a welder) and Iris Margarita (a union activist; maiden name, Declet) Morales. Education: Attended High School of the Performing Arts, New York City. Avocational Interests: Music, philosophy, golf, antiques, history.

Addresses:

Agent—Innovative Artists Talent and Literary Agency, 1505 10th St., Santa Monica, CA 90401. Manager—Jai Khanna, Brillstein Entertainment Partners, 9150 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 350, Beverly Hills, CA 90210. Publicist—Fifteen Minutes Public Relations, 8436 West Third St., Suite 650, Los Angeles, CA 90048.

Career:

Actor and producer. Also worked as second unit director. Founder of Richport (production company). National Hispanic Foundation for the Arts, cofounder; Earth Communications Office, Los Angeles, founding member of board of directors, 1989; affiliate of Wildlife Preservation Fund and Health Education AIDS Liaison. New York City Foster Care Program, spokesperson; El Rescate, Los Angeles, chair of advisory board, 1988.

Member:

Screen Actors Guild (vice president, 2001—; member of national board of directors, 2001—), Actors' Equity Association, American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

Awards, Honors:

Civilian Commendation Award, New York Police Department, 1986; Nosotros Golden Eagle, most promising actor, Nosotros Organization, 1987; Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Award, 1987, for Tamer of Horses; New York Image Award, Hispanic Academy of Media Arts, 1988; ALMA Award nomination, outstanding actor in a film, American Latin Media Arts, 1998, for The Disappearance of Garcia Lorca; ALMA Award, outstanding actor in a television series, 2002, for NYPD Blue; Prism Award nomination, outstanding performance in a drama series, Entertainment Industries Council, 2003, and Imagen Foundation Award nomination, best supporting actor in a television drama, 2004, both for American Family; Special Jury Prize, best actor, VC FilmFest-Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival, 2007, for American Fusion; named entertainer of the year, Latino Playwrights.

CREDITS

Film Appearances:

Mitchell, Forty Deuce, 1982.

Paco Moreno, Bad Boys, Universal, 1983.

Neekos Valdez, L.A. Bad (also known as Rainy Day Friends), Signature-Powerdance, 1985.

Bob Morales, La Bamba, Columbia, 1987.

Raymi Rojas, The Principal, TriStar, 1987.

Handsome Jack Maddigan, Bloodhounds of Broadway, Columbia, 1989.

Zico Borenstein, Naked Tango (also known as Tango desnudo), New Line Cinema, 1990.

Amazon, Bluebird Films, 1991.

Ripper, Freejack, Warner Bros., 1992.

Nicholas Walker, Ultraviolet, Concorde, 1992.

Charles, Don't Do It!, Trans Atlantic Entertainment, 1994.

Sergeant Stern, In the Army Now (also known as You're in the Army Now), Buena Vista, 1994.

Make, Rapa Nui, Warner Bros., 1994.

Julius, The Waiter, Fuwic Productions, 1994.

Chucho, My Family, Mi Familia (also known as East L.A., My Family, and Cafe con leche), New Line Cinema, 1995.

Astor, Scorpion Spring (also known as Scorpion Rising), Distant Horizon, 1995.

Ricardo, The Disappearance of Garcia Lorca (also known as Death in Granada, Lorca, La desaparicion de Garcia Lorca, and Muerte en Granada), Triumph Releasing, 1997.

Collin, Livers Ain't Cheap (also known as The Real Thing), Trimark Pictures, 1997.

Dominguez, The Wonderful Ice Cream Suit, Buena Vista, 1998.

Philip Solano, Southern Cross, Fries Film Group, 1999.

Mike, Doomsday Man, 1999.

Jim the director, American Virgin (also known as Live Virgin), Sterling Home Entertainment, 2000.

Nickens, Spin Cycle, 2000.

Frankie, How to Go Out On a Date in Queens, 2001, Ardustry Home Entertainment, 2006.

Voice of Vergas Mouse, The Adventures of Tom Thumb and Thumbelina (animated), Miramax, 2002.

Lulu, Paid in Full (short film), Dimension Films, 2002.

Pineda, Once Upon a Wedding, Fabrication Films, 2005.

Jose, American Fusion, 2005, Wildcat Releasing, 2007.

Father Herrera, The Virgin of Juarez, First Look International, 2006.

Tony, Fast Food Nation, Fox Searchlight, 2006.

Your Mommy Kills Animals (documentary), Halo8 Releasing, 2007.

The Tehuacan Project (short film), Motive Entertainment, 2007.

Markie, Kill Kill Faster Faster, Aria Films/Full Circle Films/No Equal Entertainment, 2008.

Pelon, La linea, Project One Films/Ronin Film and Media Group/Shoreline Motion Pictures, 2008.

Film Work:

Executive producer, Beisbol (documentary), RIMO Productions/Rhino Films/Winston Davis and Associates, 2005.

Television Appearances; Series:

Paco Corrales, a recurring role, Resurrection Blvd., Showtime, between 2000 and 2002.

Lieutenant Tony Rodriguez, NYPD Blue, ABC, 2001-2004.

Esteban Gonzalez, a recurring role, American Family (also known as American Family: Journey of Dreams), PBS, 2002.

Voice of Papi, Dora the Explorer (animated), Nickelodeon, 2002-2003.

Agent Michael Tyner, Vanished, Fox, 2006.

Major Edward Beck, a recurring role, Jericho, CBS, 2008.

Television Appearances; Movies:

Jim Duran, Bay City Story (also known as Deadline), 1972.

Jair, The Burning Season (also known as The Life and Death of Chico Mendes), HBO, 1994.

Tony Archer, Deadlocked: Escape from Zone 14 (also known as Deadlock-2), Fox, 1995.

Somos un solo pueblo, 1995.

Federico Pena, Dying to Be Perfect: The Ellen Hart Pena Story, ABC and Lifetime, 1996.

Murrow, Dog Watch, HBO, 1996.

Jeff Silva (some sources cite Jeff Morrison), Circle of Deceit, ABC, 1998.

Juan Miguel Gonzalez, The Elian Gonzalez Story (also known as A Family in Crisis: The Elian Gonzales Story), Fox Family Channel, 2000.

Rick Benes/David Lopez, Heartless, CBS, 2005.

Television Appearances; Miniseries:

Rashid, On Wings of Eagles, NBC, 1986.

Rapa Nui: Legends in Stone, 1994.

Noris "Mac" MacKenzie, Atomic Train, NBC, 1999.

Television Appearances; Specials:

Miguel Rados, "The Great Love Experiment," ABC After-school Specials, ABC, 1984.

Kenny, Living and Working in Space: The Countdown Has Begun, PBS, 1993.

Poetry, Passion, the Postman: The Poetic Return of Pablo Neruda, 1996.

Voice, U.S.-Mexican War (1846-1848), PBS, 1998.

Hollywood Animal Crusaders, Animal Planet, 1999.

Last Stand—The Struggle for the Ballona Wetlands, PBS, 2000.

(Uncredited) Inside "NYPD Blue": A Decade on the Job, ABC, 2002.

ABC's 50th Anniversary Celebration, ABC, 2003.

Cristina: El 15 aniversario, 2004.

Narrator, Behind the Mask of Zorro, History Channel, 2005.

Television Appearances; Pilots:

Esteban Gonzalez, American Family (also known as American Family: Journey of Dreams), PBS, 2002.

Sudbury, 2004.

Ray Dupre, Company Town, CBS, 2006.

Jorge Robles, The Cure, Fox, 2007.

Joseph Adama, Caprica, Sci-Fi Channel, 2008.

Television Appearances; Episodic:

Pete Romano, "The Home Invaders," Miami Vice, NBC, 1985.

Officer Miguel Canterra, "Lady Cop," The Equalizer, CBS, 1985.

George, "Savage Streets," Fame, 1985.

Felipe Cruz, "God's Work," Miami Vice, NBC, 1987.

Jesse Cardiff, "A Game of Pool," The Twilight Zone (also known as The New Twilight Zone), 1988.

Puck, "The Bribe," Tales from the Crypt (also known as HBO's "Tales from the Crypt"), HBO, 1994.

Voice, Adventures from the Book of Virtues, PBS, 1996.

Frank Kelton, "Heart's Desire," The Outer Limits (also known as The New Outer Limits), Showtime and Sci-Fi Channel, 1997.

Tony, "I'm Dangerous Tonight," The Hunger, Showtime, 1997.

Vince Duralde, "The Life Lost in Living," L.A. Doctors (also known as L.A. Docs), CBS, 1999.

Mr. Santiago, "Telling Lies, Conclusion," Family Law, CBS, 2000.

Reader, "War Letters," The American Experience, PBS, 2001.

Manny Lopez, "Who's Your Daddy?," George Lopez, ABC, 2002.

Storyline Online 2, 2003.

(Uncredited) Himself, The Simple Life, Fox, 2003.

(In archive footage) Celebrities Uncensored, 2004.

Ego Trip's Race-o-rama, VH1, 2004.

Carlos, "The Courtship of Freddie's Father," Freddie, ABC, 2005.

Ernie Paseo, "Broken Rules," Burn Notice, USA Network, 2007.

Also appeared in an episode of Sherman Oaks, CBS.

Television Guest Appearances; Episodic:

Happy Hour, 1999.

The Test, FX Network, 2001.

Hollywood Squares (also known as H2 and H2: Hollywood Squares), 2001.

On-Air with Ryan Seacrest, syndicated, 2004.

The Wayne Brady Show, syndicated, 2004.

In the Mix (also known as In the Cutz), Urban America, 2006.

The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson, CBS, 2006.

Real Time with Bill Maher, HBO, c. 2007.

Mas vale tarde, 2008.

The O'Reilly Factor, Fox News Channel, 2008.

Television Appearances; Awards Presentations:

ALMA Awards, ABC, 1998.

Presenter, 5th Annual ALMA Awards, ABC, 2000.

Presenter, 2001 ALMA Awards, ABC, 2001.

Presenter, The 5th Annual Latin Grammy Awards, CBS, 2004.

The 59th Annual Tony Awards, CBS, 2005.

Television Work; Specials:

Coproducer, Behind the Mask of Zorro, History Channel, 2005.

Television Director; Episodic:

"Shane Magan," America's Most Wanted (also known as A.M.W. and America's Most Wanted: America Fights Back), 1994.

Stage Appearances:

Title role, El Hermano, Ensemble Studio Theatre, New York City, c. 1979.

Ariel, The Tempest, New York Shakespeare Festival, Delacorte Theatre, Public Theatre, New York City, 1981.

Cupcakes, Short Eyes, Second Stage Theatre, New York City, 1984.

Hector, Tamer of Horses, Los Angeles Theatre Center, Los Angeles, 1986.

Romeo and Juliet, 1988.

Young Syrian, Salome, Circle in the Square, New York City, 1992.

Cesar Castillo, The Mambo Kings (musical), Golden Gate Theatre, San Francisco, CA, 2005, then Broadway Theatre, New York City.

Appeared in a production of The Exonerated.

RECORDINGS

Videos:

Voice, Alvin and the Chipmunks Meet the Wolfman, 2000.

Voice of Captain Victor Navarro, True Crime: New York City (video game), Activision, 2005.

The Manufacturing of "Fast Food Nation," Twentieth Century-Fox Home Entertainment, 2007.

OTHER SOURCES

Periodicals:

Cult Times, May, 2008, pp. 38-41.

New York Times, July 4, 1986.

Parade, June 23, 2002, p. 18.

People Weekly, March 25, 2002, pp. 127-128.

TV Zone, February, 2008, pp. 58-62.