Quick look: Actor Esai Morales spoke with students from OCDE’s ACCESS Area 4 schools, sharing lessons from his personal and professional journey about embracing learning, growing from failure and always being yourself.
Actors are known for delivering moving lines while playing different characters, but actor Esai Morales was dropping gems as himself while speaking with students from OCDE’s ACCESS Area 4 schools located within the Youth Guidance Center and Orange County Juvenile Hall over Zoom.
The interview with OCDE Program Coordinator Dr. Nathan Goodly is the fourth in a series modeled after Careers Without Borders, a former OCDE program in which celebrities and other notable figures shared their paths to success with Goodly and students.
Growing up in the tough neighborhoods of the Bronx in New York taught Morales how to play the tough guy character at an early age. He was often forced to present himself as someone not to be messed with — a skill that would later serve him well in the many television shows and movies in which he was cast as a villain.
However, Morales admitted that he was always more of a dreamer with a vivid imagination and a love of learning. When he discovered acting in school, that passion for learning helped drive his success.
“When you want to learn, nothing will stop you except your own excuses,” he said.
Success, however, did not come easily. Strained relationships with his mother and stepfather led Morales to run away multiple times. His final departure resulted in him becoming a ward of the state while staying at a boys home.
Despite his struggles, Morales remained determined to pursue his dream of acting, even when others doubted him.
“Life is what happens to you when you’re busy making other plans.” Morales said. “It’s how you respond to what befalls you that determines whether you have to keep learning the same lesson or grow to the next level.”
Morales encouraged students to view missteps and failures as lessons rather than setbacks. Developing a love of learning, he explained, can make it easier to recognize difficult experiences as opportunities for growth.
“The difference between success and failure is “R” and “D” — one letter difference,” Morales said. “You either let failures define you… or refine you.”
Behind the bad guy
Over the years, playing different characters has given Morales a unique view on behavior, including a lesson he shared with students about playing the bad guy.
After portraying villains countless times throughout his career, Morales acknowledged that those roles can be more enjoyable. Their swagger and bravado can be intoxicating, while their disregard for rules and consequences can make their lifestyle seem appealing.
But even in Hollywood, those characters eventually face the consequences of their actions, and suddenly, being bad isn’t so glamorous.
Trying to live a certain way or become a certain person is never the way to go, according to Morales. He left students with one final thought.
“It’s okay to be real,” he said. “As long as you’re real sincere, real considerate and hopefully real entertaining.”