Esai Morales, a renowned actor, graduated from the prestigious New York's High School for the Performing Arts. Born in Brooklyn to Puerto Rican parents, he embarked on his acting journey on stage, making his debut in El Hermano at the Ensemble Theatre Studio and later in The Tempest at New York's Shakespeare Festival In The Park.
Morales' breakthrough role as Bob Morales in La Bamba catapulted him to stardom, contributing to the film's massive commercial success as the most profitable Latino-themed Rock biopic of all time. This milestone marked the beginning of his extensive career in the entertainment industry.
In 1997, Morales co-founded the National Hispanic Foundation for the Arts, a non-profit organization aimed at advancing the representation of Latinos in media, telecommunications, and entertainment. The foundation has provided scholarships to hundreds of Hispanic students, totaling over 1 million dollars.
Throughout his career, Morales has demonstrated his versatility through various theater performances, including Oscar Wilde's Salome alongside Al Pacino on Broadway, Joe Papp's production of The Tempest with Raul Julia at New York's Shakespeare in the Park Festival, Tamer of Horses at the Los Angeles Theater Center, and The Exonerated, directed by Bob Balaban. He also made his musical theater debut in The Mambo Kings.
Morales' film credits are equally impressive, featuring roles in Bad Boys, La Bamba, Rapa Nui, Mi Familia, Fast Food Nation, Paid in Full, The Line, Atlas Shrugged: Part II, Jarhead II: Field of Fire, The Disappearance of Garcia Lorca, and Gun Hill Road, a film he not only starred in but also executive produced. The latter received a grand jury nomination at the Sundance Film Festival in 2011.
Morales has also made a significant impact in television, with notable roles in the Emmy award-winning series NYPD BLUE, Resurrection Blvd, American Family, Miami Vice, Fame, Law and Order: SVU, The Burning Season: The Chico Mendes Story, Vanished, Burn Notice, Jericho, Caprica, Fairly Legal, Criminal Minds, Major Crimes, and Saving Westbrook High. He currently plays the role of President of the United States on HBO's dark comedy series The Brink, which revolves around a geopolitical crisis.
