Esai Morales at the US Premiere of ‘Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning’ at Lincoln Center Plaza in New York. Photo Credit: Bryan Bedder, Getty Images for Paramount Pictures.
Actor Esai Morales chatted about starring in “Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning,” where he plays Gabriel, Tom Cruise’s character’s arch-nemesis.
“The important thing in life is not victory but combat; it is not to have vanquished but to have fought well,” said Pierre de Coubertin, French Educator who was primarily responsible for the revival of the Olympic Games in 1894. Esai Morales is such an individual.
Oscar winner Christopher McQuarrie directed the new Paramount Pictures action movie from a script that he co-wrote with Erik Jendresen.
The synopsis is: Our lives are the sum of our choices. Tom Cruise is Ethan Hunt in “Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning.”
‘Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning’
On being a part of “The Final Reckoning,” Morales remarked, “It was an amazing joyride challenge, just like ‘Dead Reckoning.’ We did an aerial sequence that is described as ‘one for the ages,’ so you will see it, even though I can’t give away too much.”
“It was incredibly thrilling to be a part of it and even watching something that was shot! Tom Cruise does some death-defying stunts,” Morales noted.
Playing Gabriel
Morales plays Gabriel, the deadly adversary facing Ethan Hunt in the explosive final chapter of the “Mission Impossible” series.
On portraying the nefarious Gabriel, he said, “Gabriel is sophisticated, and we don’t know too much about him, but we know he is driven by something profound… something that concerns Ethan deeply.”
“Those people that know you the longest know you the best; they know your weaknesses and what can get under your skin. I love being the person that could unravel Ethan, and that is quite an honor because in this movie we go back and revisit the whole franchise,” he explained.
“What worries me today is how this industry is going to survive because so many kids these days look at their phones,” he said. “They don’t always have time to sit down and watch a movie or a show.”
“When you are watching something at home, at a movie theater or at an IMAX, you are sharing an experience, and that is something that you cannot get on a small screen,” he elaborated.
“There are nuances and there is so much work that goes into making every detail perfect, and you lose that on a tiny screen,” he added.
‘La Bamba’
Morales opened up about his time doing “La Bamba,” where he played Roberto “Bob” Morales, Ritchie Valens’ half-brother.
“It was one of my favorites. It was an incredible character,” he said. “It literally had my name on it. Bob Morales; I’m a Morales. I never see a lot of great roles for anybody named Morales.”
“Bob was the heavy of the movie but he wasnt’ a bad guy; he was a tortured soul like most of us we have our issues. He just dealt with his issues differently,” he noted.
“For me, to be in a role that had my name on it in a production that is so beautifully made from the director (Luis Valdez) to the producer (Taylor Hackford) to the cast that included Lou Diamond Phillips, who was amazing as Ritchie Valens, Rosanna DeSoto, Danielle von Zerneck, and Joe Pantoliano,” he elaborated.
“Everybody in that movie played their parts so wonderfully and so effortlessly. I hear they are going to try to make it again, and I wish them luck because that’s a tough one to eclipse because the original film is so well-loved and the chemistry was so beautiful. ‘La Bamba’ was a once-in-a-lifetime picture,” he added.
‘Cottonmouth’
Morales spoke about his upcoming film “Cottonmouth,” where he will be starring opposite Emmy winner Eric Nelsen and Ron Perlman. “The whole ‘Cottonmouth’ cast was great,” he exclaimed.
“It was a very lovely experience with a young filmmaker Brock Harris,” Morales said. “There is something about westerns and going back in time that is just so much fun. The actors were all amazing in it. I haven’t seen it yet so I can’t speak more about it per se. I can’t wait to see the finished product.”
“While I didn’t know many actors, I looked them up and realized that we have some serious talent on ‘Cottonmouth.’ Ron Perlman is quite a heavyweight in this movie. Let’s see how that one comes out,” he added.
‘NYPD Blue‘
Morales recalled his time doing the hit procedural drama series “NYPD Blue,” where he worked alongside Kim Delaney and Sharon Lawrence.
“That was a great show. I miss that show. It was one of the best,” he admitted.
“Kim Delaney and Sharon Lawrence are amazing. The whole cast and crew were great. I miss the creator, Steven Bochco, who passed, but he ran a very well-oiled machine up until that point, and it was one of the best gigs of my career,” he elaborated.
Morales on Michael Jai White and Gillian White
Morales had great words about acting couple Michael Jai White and Gillian White.
“Michael Jai White is one of the kindest and most powerful actors I know. Gillian is so great,” he exclaimed.
“I get the chance to work with some special people,” he admitted. “The Whites are an amazing couple, and they are good people. I am very grateful when I get to work with good human beings such as the Whites.”
Morales reveals career-defining moments
On his career-defining moments, he reflected, “For my very first movie, I walked out of the audition for ‘Bad Boys.’ This was for the Sean Penn film back in 1983. He is an amazing actor, and it was an amazing cast. There had to be about a dozen badasses there, where each of them could have probably done the part better than me.”
Morales continued, “I literally had to talk myself to get back in there and not be a punk. I went back in there with such an attitude, ferocity and intention. I became the panther and cobra that they described the character as, and I left, and I didn’t hear anything back until three weeks later when I was told that I was in first position for the part, and that to me, was a defining moment.”
“This moment taught me that your passion has to be infectious; if I want something bad enough, I am going to find a way to get it or I will die trying,” he said.
Advice for young and emerging actors
For young and aspiring actors, Morales said, “Life is your laboratory; observe, relate and find out the frequency. Realize why you want to be an actor and make sure that it’s more than superficial reasons.”
“It involves a lot of sacrifice and a lot of difficulties,” he underscored. “If your love for it can’t sustain you, then have a good day job. It’s not just a hobby and you have to refine the gift you have been given. If you don’t have that gift, you have to find if you are capable of finding it.”
“There has to be something deep inside of you that is so connected to the human condition that you can’t help but to try to reflect it in your roles,” he noted.
“There has to be something that is more than superficial that will sustain you during the bad times, and it will keep you happy,” he added.
The digital age
On being a part of the digital age, he responded, “I don’t know. I am so busy trying to stay off my computer. I’m addicted to scrolling and learning and it’s not to entertain myself but it’s to learn.”
“There is so much knowledge and information, and if the algorithms get that, they know what you like, and they will give you more and more. I have to filter that, so I’ll go out and go play tennis for hours,” he acknowledged.
“I am trying to figure out how I can grow my mind, and how I can find peace. I want to do it all, but unfortunately, we can’t do it all, especially in this life. So, enjoy life and make it worthwhile,” he added.
Stage of his life
On the title of the current chapter of his life, Morales said, “Breathe.”
“I think we get so busy sometimes that we forget to breathe,” he admitted. “So, breathe and enjoy! Breath is the beginning of life; it’s the first thing you do when you are born; you have to.”
Superpower of choice
Morales’ superpower of choice is “compassion and communication.”
“I love to convey ideas, receive, connect, and communicate,” he said. “I identify with so many to the point where it’s almost a problem. I connect with so many different types of people, and I guess that’s why I’m an actor because I can lend myself to that.”
“Also, I love to love whether it’s loving activities or people. I just have so much passion and love,” he underscored. “Most things that I’ve done in my life weren’t planned meticulously.”
Morales defines success
Regarding his definition of the word success, Morales shared, “Finding fulfillment, feeling like you are in your groove whether you make a lot eternally or not isn’t success.”
“I know a lot of people with a lot of things and a lot of problems that go along with them. Then, I know other folks that don’t have as much but they have contentment, happiness, and peace. So, why would I want a lot, if I could be happy with less?” he elaborated.
“To me, success is finding that happy balance and knowing that you lived a life that created memories and joy in others. Nobody remembers what you say but they remember how you made them feel,” he added.
Closing thoughts on ‘Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning’
For fans and viewers, he stated about the new “Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning” movie, “We have to understand that AI like fire can be used to burn, or it can be used to warm.”
“What are we attaching artificial intelligence to? I want artificial intelligence to serve authentic intelligence and to keep sacred that human connection, which no machine can replicate,” he explained.
“Also, I want viewers to have a good time while watching it, and I hope it makes them think. Honestly, it is feel-good escapism,” he admitted.
Morales went on to share the following insightful quote: “The high mission of any art is by its illusions to foreshadow a higher universe reality to crystallize the emotions of time into the thought of eternity.” “Chew on that one for a while,” he concluded.
American track and field running icon Steve Prefontaine once said: “To give anything less than your best, is to sacrifice the gift.” Esai Morales embodies this wise quote by the long-distance running legend.
To learn more about veteran actor Esai Morales, follow him on Instagram and check out his IMDb page.
Read More: “Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning” review
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