Esai Morales Quotes

I don’t want to be the ‘spice‘ added to a show. I’m not a condiment!

I remember doing ‘La Bamba’ and thinking, ‘Do you really think that Latinos will be accepted in mainstream?’ and I said, ‘Someday I hope so, but there is no guarantee.’

We hear a lot in this country about family, and ‘American Family‘ just shows us a portrait we haven‘t seen as much of yet. ‘American Family’ lets us know that being American isn’t about the color of your hair or eyes or skin: it’s really a state of mind.

Shows like ‘Seinfeld‘ and ‘Friends,’ they have, like, one or two damn characters throughout the whole series that are minorities.

I’m a very romantic person.

We as Americans of Latin descent are just as American as anyone else of any other descent.

Anytime you do something Latino, yeah, I love the color, the spice.

I believe if people understood each other more, if people took the time and realize it’s not ‘all about me‘ and I’m on a big planet with a lot of other people and concerns, maybe we can learn how to get along with each other.

I think the legacy left behind by ‘Battlestar’ speaks for itself. I thought that these avid fans, most of whom were skeptical at first… to turn them into a fan of ‘Caprica’ as well is a daunting task, a big challenge.

In order to be a lieutenant, you’ve got to have authority in your voice. No matter how young your face looks, you’ve got to let your guys know that you’re in charge.

Do I have to see movies and television about the English throne or the Holocaust every year? There are multiple multi-million dollar movies with the same backdrop. But our Holocaust – meaning Latino – aren’t ever told.

In New York, just standing still on the sidewalk is a weird feeling. You have this incessant need to do things. Los Angeles is about kicking back, relaxing, your inner child, peace.

I am tired of our characters being so incomplete. When do we ever save the day in a film? When does a Latino actor get to be the hero?

I went jogging up on Mulholland. In the middle of my run I had some form of asthma attack and couldn’t even walk. I couldn’t get a ride one block to my house. I thought I was going to die.

Frankie is my baby. He is the sweetest dog in the world. Frankie is like the son I never had. He keeps me healthy; I walk and run him. I always feel that I need to spend more time with him and give him more attention. I find myself unloading my emotions on him.

I don’t get paid like a person that everyone knows, but I get paid so much more in so many ways.

Well, actually yes, in 1988. There was a warrant for me because my assistant hadn’t paid a ticket of mine.

All I would say to people who doubt ‘Caprica’ is: Everything good starts slow.

I love shocking people.

My character Esteban is a guy who really didn’t think he was gonna be there at this point in his life. He’s in his early 30s. He’s got a son. He’s raising his son as a single father.

I like the Beatles. They’re at the core of my musicality. And John Lennon‘s my spiritual father.

Being an actor you have a lot of expenses.

I’ll never lose the sense of being an underdog.

I see myself being a father, hopefully a husband, but I’m very gun-shy. The older I get, the further the goalpost.

If you don’t look like the ruling class, bring your inhaler.

I think that racism has gotten more subtle, and it’s not even racism anymore: it’s placism. Like where you live or whether you went to community college or Harvard, and it exists within the race.

It’s people politics, people dynamics that make a show really good, whether it’s ‘Desperate Housewives‘ or ‘Lost‘ or ‘The Sopranos.’ It’s the people we’ve grown to love or otherwise.

You know, I’m not making top dollar, but when you’re making top dollar, there are a lot of people waiting for you to fall.

I always pull over for people who need a push.

I love being irreverent. But I hate being irrelevant. I love being irreverent because at the end of the day your actions belie your intentions.