David Zayas

David Zayas Biography
Name At Birth: David Zayas
Date of Birth: August 15, 1962
Birth Place: Puerto Rico
Occupation: Actor
Years active: 1995–present
Spouse(s):
Liza Colón-Zayas

David Zayas is an American actor who has donned many hats in his life. Before attaining fame for playing the character of Angel Batista in the hit television series Dexter, he was in the United States Air Force following which he was an officer in the New York City Police Department. David is also known for his role of Enrique Morales in Oz, the popular HBO prison drama series.

David Zayas had been in love with movies and the world of acting since early childhood and has always wanted to become an actor. However, circumstances in his life had compelled him to join the armed forces and to become a law enforcement officer later. His experiences in the Air Force and in NYPD came handy as he had perfected the art of playing law enforcement officers on screen as well as characters that are on the wrong side of the law. His real life experiences and his acting skills have been duly recognized, and he is a popular face on television and films today.

Before Dexter happened, David had featured in 27 episodes of Oz, over a period of three years from 2000 to 2003. His portrayal of Enrique Morales in Oz was highly appreciated by critics and audiences alike, which lead him to bag the role of Angel Batista in Dexter. David has been one of the regular cast members in Dexter, right from the beginning of the first season.

Zayas is a veteran member of Labyrinth Theater Company, which he joined way back in 1992 and today he has several blockbuster films to his credit apart from television roles. Some of the more well known credits of David include The Expendables, Skyline and Michael Clayton. He also featured in an independent film Shadowboxing that stormed the film festival circuits in 2010. David has starred alongside Sylvester Stallone, Michael Caine, George Clooney and Bruce Willis, among others.

The list of films, plays and television series of David are as varied as it can get. In a reverse chronological order, David has starred in Flying By (2008), Wake (2008), Burning Mussolini (2008), Dexter, The Savages (2007), Michael Clayton (2007), The Path to 9/11 (2006), 16 Blocks (2006), Angel (2005), Sangre/Blood (2005), The Interpreter (2005), Bristol Boys (2005), Jailbait (2004), Brooklyn Bound (2004), Mimmo & Paulie (2004), La Araña (2003), Undefeated (2003), Anne B. Real (2003) and several “Law & Order” series like Submission (2008), Smoke (2003), Flight (1998), Causa Mortis (1996) and Savages (1995) among others.

Dexter on Showtime

Showtime’s series “Dexter” is about a serial killer with a conscience. In the first season, we see Dexter, played by Michael C. Hall, as a child when his father discovers Dexter’s proclivity of killing people. Dexter’s father, played by James Remar, is a Miami-Dade Metro cop. Viewers have their minds twisted when Dexter’s father does not punish Dexter for his desire … Read More »


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