David Zayas (born August 15, 1962David Zayas, en Tomatazos. Tomatazos.com Accessed 18 October 2020.) is a Puerto Rican actor. He is best known for his roles as Angel Batista on the Showtime series Dexter, Dexter: New Blood and Dexter: Resurrection and Enrique Morales on the HBO prison drama series Oz.
Early life Zayas was born in Ponce, Puerto Rico, and raised in The Bronx, New York.
Career Zayas joined the United States Air Force at age 19 and was a police officer with the New York City Police Department for almost 15 years. His experience as a police officer allowed him to develop as a character actor, leading to a series of acting jobs on television and film, mainly playing law enforcement officers, but playing characters on the other side of the law, as well, such as Enrique Morales on HBO's long-running prison-drama Oz. Zayas was a main cast member of Dexter for all of its eight seasons and its spinoff series Dexter: Resurrection.
Zayas has been a member of the LAByrinth Theater Company since 1992, a New York City-based traveling actors group. He branched out into television and film projects, and has diversified with guest roles in such popular television series such as New York Undercover, Person of Interest, FBI (playing Mexican drug lord Antonio Vargas), and NYPD Blue. At LAByrinth, he met his future wife, actress Liza Colón.
Zayas played a corrupt police officer in 16 Blocks (2006) and an NYPD officer in Michael Clayton (2007). He is featured in the independent film Shadowboxing (2010), which appeared on the film festival circuit. He appears in Sylvester Stallone's feature film The Expendables (2010) and The Brothers Strause's film Skyline (2010). In 2012, Zayas played Ernie Trask, a hotel super, in the twelfth episode of season 1 of Person of Interest. In 2013 he portrayed Detective Esteban Flores in Jodi Arias: Dirty Little Secret, a television film about the murder of Travis Alexander.
Zayas portrayed mob boss Sal Maroni in the Batman prequel Gotham, which premiered on Fox on September 22, 2014. Shortly thereafter, he appeared in Annie (2014) as Lou, a gregarious bodega owner who helps Cameron Diaz's Hannigan learn to love herself.
Zayas starred in the 2021 film R#J, a modern retelling of Romeo and Juliet. Shaun Munro noted Zayas as one of the few prominent actors present in the film and called him "well-cast in the role of Juliet’s amusingly surly father."
Filmography Film Year Title Role Notes 1997 Lena's Dreams Jorge 1998 OK Garage Omar Scar City Cop #1 Return to Paradise Construction Foreman Rounders Trooper Osborne Bleach Lieutenant Ballard Short film 1999 Bringing Out the Dead Cop in Elevator Kingdom Come Unknown 2000 The Yards Officer Jerry Rifkin 2001 Sam the Man Officer Billy 2002 Washington Heights David A Gentleman's Game Alfred D'Angelo 2003 Anne B. Real Cynthia's Dad 2004 Mimmo & Paulie Paulie Short film Jailbait Guard Brooklyn Bound Popo 2005 The Interpreter Secret Service Agent Charlie Russell Sangre/Blood Nestor Short film The Feast of the Goat Antonio De La Maza 2006 16 Blocks Detective Bobby Torres The Path to 9/11 Lou Napoli Bristol Boys Detective Benson 2007 Michael Clayton Detective Dalberto The Savages Eduardo 2009 Burning Mussolini Hector Wake Detective Grayson Flying By Tony 2010 13 Detective Larry Mullane Shadowboxing Bill The Expendables General Garza Skyline Oliver 2013 Samuel Bleak Ruben Ramirez 2014 Ride Ramon Annie Lou 2015 The Wannabe Pablo Guzman 2016 Tallulah Detective Richards 2017 Teen Titans: The Judas Contract Alberto Reyes (voice) Direct-to-video A green check mark indicates that a role has been confirmed using a screenshot (or collage of screenshots) of a title's list of voice actors and their respective characters found in its credits or other reliable sources of information. Shine Ramon 2020 Body Cam Sergeant Kesper Force of Nature John The Baptist 2021 R and J Fernando Capulet 2025 The Running Man Richard Manuel
Television Year Title Role Notes 1995 Law & Order McGinty Episode: "Savages" 1996 New York Undercover Paco Martinez Episode: "The Enforcers" Law & Order Raoul Cervantes Episode: "Causa Mortis" 1997 Feds Unknown Episode: "Somebody's Lyin'" 1998 Trinity Uniform Cop #1 Episode: "...To Forgive, Divine" Law & Order Carlos Episode: "Flight" 1999 Third Watch Motorman Episode: "Welcome to Camelot" 2000 NYPD Blue Joaquin Enriquez Episode: "These Shoots Are Made for Joaquin" The Beat Rei Morales 12 episodes All My Children Unknown Episode: "13 December 2000" 2000–2003 Oz Enrique Morales 26 episodes 2001 Wit Code Team Blue Head Television film 2002 Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Detective Milton Episode: "Protection" UC: Undercover Jorge Gonzales Episode: "Manhunt" Guiding Light Prison Guard Episode: "22 October 2002" 2003 Law & Order John Mireles Episode: "Smoke" Angels in America Super 3 episodes Undefeated Paulie Television film 2005 Angel Angel's Father Television film 2006–2013 Dexter Angel Batista 96 episodes 2006 Numb3rs Carlos Costavo Episode: "Brutus" 2006 Law & Order: Criminal Intent Fire Marshall Episode: "On Fire" 2007 Without a Trace Gabriel Molina Episode: "Crash and Burn" Shark Alvarez Episode: "Strange Bedfellows" The Closer Brian Episode: "Grave Doubts" Burn Notice Javier Episode: "Pilot" 2008 Law & Order Detective Justin Cabrera Episode: "Submission" 2009 CSI: Miami Ben Porterson Episode: "Wolfe in Sheep's Clothing" In Plain Sight Harrison Locke Episode: "Rubble with a Cause" 2010 Law & Order: Criminal Intent Lt. Stanley Maas Season 9: 2 episodes 2012 Person of Interest Ernie Trask Episode: "Super" Grimm Salvadore Butrell Episode: "Leave It to Beavers" 2013 The Following Tyson Hernandez Episode: "Guilt" Deception Frank Episode: "Pilot" Jodi Arias: Dirty Little Secret Detective Esteban Flores Television film 2013–2023 The Blacklist Manny Soto 4 episodes 2014 Saint George Junior 6 episodes 2014–2015 Gotham Sal Maroni 8 episodes 2015 Elementary Juan 'El Gato' Murillo Episode: "The Past Is Parent" 2016 Bloodline Sheriff Aguirre 7 episodes 2016–2017 Shut Eye Eduardo Bernal 20 episodes 2017–2024 Blue Bloods Governor of New York Martin Mendez 7 episodes 2018 Seven Seconds Captain Carlos Medina Episodes: "Of Gods and Men", "Until It Do" Chicago P.D. Carlos Mendoza Episode: "Endings" Quantico Charlie Episode: "Hell's Gate" 2019 Deadly Class El Alma del Diablo 5 episodes 2020 Next Ignacio 3 episodes 2020–2021 FBI Antonio Vargas 3 episodes 2021 Pose Carlos Episode: "Something Old, Something New" 2021–2022 Dexter: New Blood Angel Batista Episodes: "Runaway" & "Sins of the Father" 2024 Diarra from Detroit Marshall Recurring role Bob's Burgers Bubble Master (voice) Episode: "Jade in the Shade" 2024–2026 The Bear David Marrero 5 episodes 2025 Dexter: Resurrection Angel Batista 10 episodes2026The Night AgentMike FonsecaEpisode: "Package Deal" 2026R.J. DeckerVictor Ochoa 2026 Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Judge Warren Fels Episode: "Corrosive"
Theatre Year Title Role Notes 2000 Jesus Hopped the 'A' Train ValdezEast 13th Street Theatre 2003 Our Lady of 121st Street EdwinUnion Square Theatre Anna in the Tropics ChechéRoyale Theatre 2008 The Little Flower of East Orange Espinosa / Surgeon 2Joseph Papp Public Theater/Martinson Hall 2022 Cost of Living Eddie Samuel J. Friedman TheatreNominated—Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play 2024 Brooklyn Laundry Owen New York City Center Stage I
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