Esai Morales

American actor making a N.Y. stage debut at 17. One of the few Latin actors who has broken through the barriers in Hollywood, Morales won critical acclaim for his role in the feature film, "My Family," and received the Los Angeles Drama Critics Award for "Tamer of Horses." When he was 13 or 14, Morales ran away from home after having a disagreement with his mother. He became a ward of New York State and lived in a home for boys and several foster homes. When his talent for acting was noticed, he was enrolled in New York City’s High School of the Performing Arts. At age 17, he made his first stage appearance, and in 1983, he was cast in "Bad Boys," a film about teens behind bars. An independent thinker and openly critical of American society, Morales uses his celebrity status to bring attention to important social issues and is a founding member of the Earth Communications Office, an organization for environmental awareness. He is a reader who is fascinated by science and ‘why’ things are the way they are. He volunteers in the fight against AIDS and is committed to helping find a cure. He condemns America for being the number one seller of guns and arms, says that Americans consume too many drugs in their foods and thinks that watching too much television numbs the brain. Never married, Morales has no children. As an adult, he and his mother, who lives in Puerto Rico, have reconciled. In 1997, he was seen in the film "The Disappearance of Garcia Lorca." Link to Wikipedia biography