Earnest Lee Hudson (born December 17, 1945) is an American actor. His roles include Winston Zeddemore in the Ghostbusters film series, Sergeant Darryl Albrecht in The Crow (1994), and Warden Leo Glynn on HBO's Oz (1997–2003). Hudson has also acted in the films Leviathan (1989), The Hand That Rocks the Cradle (1992), Airheads (1994), The Basketball Diaries (1995), Congo (1995), Miss Congeniality (2000), and as Principal Turner in The Ron Clark Story (2006).
Ernie Hudson | |
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![]() Hudson at the 2017 Phoenix Fan Fest | |
Born | Earnest Lee Hudson[1] (1945-12-17) December 17, 1945 (age 76) Benton Harbor, Michigan, U.S. |
Education |
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Occupation | Actor, playwright, producer |
Years active | 1973–present |
Spouses |
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Children | 4 |
Hudson had appeared in the television shows St. Elsewhere (1984), The Last Precinct (1986), 10-8: Officers on Duty (2003–2004), Desperate Housewives (2006–2007), The Secret Life of the American Teenager (2008–2013), Law & Order (2009–2010), the voice of Agent Bill Fowler in Transformers: Prime (2010–2013), Franklin & Bash (2012–2014), Grace and Frankie (2015–2020), and L.A.'s Finest (2019–2020).
He had a cameo as Patty Tolan's uncle in the remake of Ghostbusters (2016), and reprised his role as Winston in Ghostbusters: Afterlife (2021).
Hudson was born in Benton Harbor, Michigan. He never knew his father. His mother, Maggie Donald,[2] died of tuberculosis when he was two months old. He was subsequently raised by his maternal grandmother, Arrana Donald.
Hudson joined the United States Marine Corps immediately after high school, but was discharged after only three months on medical grounds due to asthma. Having moved to Detroit, he became the resident playwright at Concept East, the oldest black theater company in the United States. He enrolled at Wayne State University to further develop his writing and acting skills, graduating in 1973. He established the Actors' Ensemble Theatre where he and other talented young black writers directed and appeared in their own works. He was briefly in a doctoral program at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities before leaving to appear in a stage production of The Great White Hope.[3] Later, he studied toward a Master of Fine Arts in acting at Yale School of Drama, but left after a year to appear in Leadbelly.[4]
In an interview with Belief.net, Hudson stated that he is a practicing Christian, but does not believe that "one church is the right one".[citation needed]
One of Hudson's early film roles is in Penitentiary II (1982) starring Leon Isaac Kennedy. He had various guest roles on television series such as The Dukes of Hazzard and The A-Team. He was on the television series Fantasy Island in a first-season episode as a voodoo man named Jamu. Hudson gained fame playing Winston Zeddemore in the 1984 feature film Ghostbusters and its 1989 sequel, Ghostbusters II. He auditioned to reprise the role for the animated series, The Real Ghostbusters, but it was given to Arsenio Hall.[5] He had a major supporting role as the mentally challenged handyman Solomon in The Hand that Rocks the Cradle (1992).
Hudson was cast as Warden Leo Glynn on HBO's series Oz, and his son Ernie Hudson Jr. co-starred with him as Muslim inmate Hamid Khan. Hudson also appears as the character Munro in Congo (1995) and as Police Sergeant Albrecht in The Crow (1994). He switched gears when he played a preacher opening the eyes of a small town's prejudice in the 1950s in A Stranger in the Kingdom. He played Harry McDonald, the FBI superior of Sandra Bullock's character in the feature film Miss Congeniality (2000). He is in the Stargate SG-1 episode "Ethon" as Pernaux. He appeared as Reggie in the 1995 film The Basketball Diaries. In 2006, he appeared in the television movie The Ron Clark Story as Principal Turner. In 2008, he began a recurring role as Dr. Fields on The Secret Life of the American Teenager. He had a recurring role on the final season of Law & Order as Lt. Anita Van Buren's boyfriend and then fiancé.
In 2011, he played Stuart Owens in Torchwood: Miracle Day.[6]
Beginning in 2015, Hudson was cast in a recurring role as Jacob, an organic farmer who is the romantic interest for Frankie Bergstein (Lily Tomlin) in the series Grace and Frankie.[7]
Hudson appeared in the 2016 Ghostbusters reboot, playing Bill Jenkins, the uncle of Leslie Jones's lead character Pattie Tolan.[8]
In 2019, Hudson began starring in L.A.'s Finest, playing the estranged father of Gabrielle Union's character. Hudson called it "a very different show", citing the duality of having to protect people as a member of law enforcement while having unresolved relationships that need to be reconciled.[9] Spectrum canceled the series after two seasons the following year.[10]
In August 2019, he confirmed his involvement in Ghostbusters: Afterlife directed by Jason Reitman, joining original cast members Sigourney Weaver, Dan Aykroyd, Bill Murray and Annie Potts.[11][12] Hudson described himself as being welled by emotions after he put on his jumpsuit and proton pack, as he had previously "accepted that [a film] was never going to happen".[13]
On March 8, 2022, Hudson was announced as the co-lead in NBC's Quantum Leap reboot.[14]
Hudson married his first wife, Jeannie Moore, in 1963, when she was sixteen and he was eighteen.[15] They had two sons, Ernie Hudson Jr. and Rahaman Hudson. When Hudson and Jeannie divorced in 1976, their sons moved to live with Hudson in California.[16][17] In 1985, Hudson married former flight attendant Linda Kingsberg, and they had two sons, Andrew and Ross.[15]
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
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1976 | Leadbelly | Archie | |
The Human Tornado | Bo | ||
1979 | The Main Event | Killer | |
1980 | Joni | Earl | |
The Octagon | Quinine | ||
The Jazz Singer | Heckler | ||
1981 | Underground Aces | African General | |
1982 | Penitentiary II | 'Half Dead' | |
1983 | Spacehunter: Adventures in the Forbidden Zone | Washington | |
Going Berserk | Muhammed Jerome Willy | ||
Two of a Kind | Detective Skaggs | ||
1984 | Ghostbusters | Winston Zeddemore | |
National Lampoon's Joy of Sex | Mr. Porter | ||
1987 | Weeds | Bagdad | |
1988 | The Wrong Guys | Dawson | |
1989 | Leviathan | Justin Jones | |
Collision Course | 'Shortcut' | ||
Trapper County War | Jefferson Carter | ||
Ghostbusters II | Winston Zeddemore | ||
1992 | The Hand That Rocks the Cradle | Solomon | |
1993 | The Pitch | Vet | Short |
1994 | Sugar Hill | Lolly Jonas | |
The Crow | Sergeant Daryl Albrecht | ||
No Escape | Hawkins | ||
The Cowboy Way | Officer Sam 'Mad Dog' Shaw | ||
Airheads | Sergeant O'Malley | ||
Speechless | Dan Ventura | ||
1995 | The Basketball Diaries | Reggie | |
Congo | Captain Monroe Kelly | ||
1996 | The Substitute | Principal Claude Rolle | |
For Which He Stands | DEA Agent Baxter | ||
Just Your Luck | Willie | Video | |
1997 | Levitation | 'Downbeat' | |
Fakin' da Funk | Joe Lee | ||
Mr. Magoo | CIA Agent Gus Anders | ||
A Stranger in the Kingdom | Reverend Walter Andrews | ||
1998 | Butter | Curtis '8 Ball' Harris | |
Best of the Best 4: Without Warning | Detective Gresko | Video | |
Hijack | Senator Douglas Wilson | ||
October 22 | Arthur | ||
1999 | Interceptor | Major McKenzie | |
Stealth Fighter | President Westwood | ||
Paper Bullets | Detective Ron Mills | ||
Lillie | Larry Miller | ||
2000 | Everything's Jake | Jake | |
Red Letters | Detective Glen Teal | ||
The Watcher | FBI Special Agent Mike Ibby | ||
Miss Congeniality | FBI Assistant Director Harry McDonald | ||
2003 | Anne B. Real | Principal Davis | |
2004 | Clifford's Really Big Movie | P.T. (voice) | |
2005 | Marilyn Hotchkiss' Ballroom Dancing and Charm School | Blake Rische | |
Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous | FBI Assistant Director Harry McDonald | ||
Bathsheba | Nathan | Short | |
Halfway Decent | Tom | ||
2006 | Hood of Horror | Roscoe | |
2007 | Certifiably Jonathan | Museum Guard | |
Nobel Son | Sergeant Bill Canega | ||
All Hat | Jackson Jones | ||
2008 | Pie'n Burger | Cedric | Short |
Lonely Street | Captain Morgan | ||
2009 | Balancing the Books | Detective Carter | |
Dragonball Evolution | Sifu Norris | ||
Pastor Brown | Deacon Harold Todd | ||
2010 | Smokin' Aces 2: Assassins' Ball | FBI Special Agent Anthony Vejar | Video |
Machete Joe | Sheriff Taylor | ||
Stasis | Stranger | Short | |
Game of Death | Catholic Priest | ||
2011 | Beverly Hills Chihuahua 2 | Pedro (voice) | Video |
Sugarwheels | Prof. Zaccharine Ragus PhD | Short | |
Deep Blue Breath | Lord Vater (voice) | Short | |
2012 | Mickey Matson and the Copperhead Conspiracy | Ivan Stumpwater | |
Dinner Date | Man | Short | |
Beverly Hills Chihuahua 3: Viva La Fiesta! | Pedro (voice) | Video | |
Deer Crossing | Captain Bailey | ||
Dark Canyon | Cyrus Parker | ||
Turning Point | Joe Johnson | ||
2013 | Doonby | Leroy | |
Adonis | Chick Magnet CEO | Short | |
2014 | The Grim Sleeper | Detective Claymar | |
You're Not You | John | ||
Merry Ex-Mas | Pastor Ed | ||
The Last Song | Guest | Short | |
2015 | Gallows Road | Bob Collins | |
2016 | The Man in the Silo | Marcus Wells | |
Batman: Bad Blood | Lucius Fox (voice) | Video | |
God's Not Dead 2 | Judge Stennis | ||
Ghostbusters | Uncle Bill Jenkins | ||
Spaceman | Joe | ||
Infinity Train | Atticus (voice) | Short | |
2017 | High & Outside: A Baseball Noir | Sanzone | |
2018 | Nappily Ever After | Richard Jones | |
2019 | Cleanin' Up the Town: Remembering Ghostbusters | Himself | Documentary |
2020 | I Love You... Forever | George Henry | Short |
2021 | Redemption Day | Ed Paxton | |
Ghostbusters: Afterlife | Winston Zeddemore | ||
Beebo Saves Christmas | Santa Claus (voice) | [18] | |
TBA | Field of Dreams 3: NBA Basketball | David Miller |
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
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1977 | Mad Bull | Bart 'Black Bart' | TV movie |
1978 | King | Jack Corbin | Miniseries |
Fantasy Island | Jamu | Episode: "Family Reunion/VooDoo" | |
Last of the Good Guys | El Coliph | TV movie | |
Winners | Ted | Episode: "Journey Together" | |
Baa Baa Black Sheep | George 'King George' | Episode: "A Little Bit of England" | |
1979 | The Incredible Hulk | Lee | Episode: "Like a Brother" |
Roots: The Next Generations | Muslim at Door | Episode: "Part VII (1960-1967)" | |
The White Shadow | Johnson | Episode: "Little Orphan Abner" | |
Detective School | Bombacaa | Episode: "Nick Is Smitten" | |
One Day at a Time | Desk Sergeant | Episode: "A Little Larceny" | |
Highcliffe Manor | Smythe | Main cast | |
1980 | Skag | - | Episode: "Pilot" |
The $5.20 an Hour Dream | Homer Burden | TV movie | |
White Mama | Counsellor | TV movie | |
Too Close for Comfort | Sam Morton | Episode: "The Bag Lady" | |
1981 | A Matter of Life and Death | Mr. Harrison | TV movie |
Diff'rent Strokes | Kwame | Episode: "Almost American" | |
Crazy Times | Harold 'Jazzman' Malloy | TV movie | |
Little House on the Prairie | William Thomas | Episode: "Chicago" | |
Bosom Buddies | Rochelle | Episode: "One for You, One for Me" | |
Taxi | Terry Carver | Episode: "Of Mice and Tony" | |
1982 | The Dukes of Hazzard | Avery | Episode: "Dear Diary" |
Flamingo Road | Chandler | Recurring cast (season 2) | |
The New Odd Couple | Moses Brown | Episode: "That Was No Lady" | |
1983 | Webster | Rudy | Episode: "Happy Un-Birthday" |
Women of San Quentin | Charles Wilson | TV movie | |
The A-Team | Cal Freeman | Episode: "The Taxicab Wars" | |
1984 | 100 Centre Street | - | TV movie |
St. Elsewhere | Jerry Close | Recurring cast (season 3) | |
1985 | California Girls | Ernie | TV movie |
Love on the Run | Lamar | TV movie | |
The Super Powers Team: Galactic Guardians | Victor Stone/Cyborg (voice) | Main cast (season 9) | |
1986 | The Last Precinct | Sergeant 'Night Train' Lane | Main cast |
It's a Living | Dougie | Episode: "The Bar" | |
Mickey Spillane's Mike Hammer | Digger Love | Episode: "Harlem Nocturne" | |
1987 | Gimme a Break! | Prince | Episode: "Someday My Prince..." |
Full House | Reggie 'The Sandman' Martin | Episode: "Knock Yourself Out" | |
Pound Puppies | Additional Voices | Recurring cast (season 2) | |
1988 | The Dirty Dozen: The Fatal Mission | Joseph Hamilton | TV movie |
1989 | The Super Mario Bros. Super Show! | Himself | Episode: "Slime Busters" |
1990 | Cop Rock | Commander Warren Osborne | Episode: "Pilot" |
1990–91 | Broken Badges | Toby Baker | Main cast |
1991 | Miss Jones | Evinrude Johnson | TV movie |
1992 | Angel Street | Thurman Nickens | Episode: "Pilot - Part 1 & 2" |
The Ben Stiller Show | Tennis Captain | Episode: "With Bobcat Goldthwait" | |
Batman: The Animated Series | Security Guard (voice) | Episode: "Joker's Wild" | |
1993 | TriBeCa | Howard | Episode: "Heros Exoletus" |
Angel Street | Thurman Nickens | TV movie | |
Wild Palms | Tommy Lazlo | Main cast | |
Tales from the Crypt | Zambini | Episode: "Food for Thought" | |
1994 | Lifestories: Families in Crisis | Coach Seldon | Episode: "A Body to Die For: The Aaron Henry Story" |
1996 | Tornado! | Dr. Joe Branson | TV movie |
The Cherokee Kid | Nat Love/Deadwood Dick | TV movie | |
1997 | Operation Delta Force | Tipton | TV movie |
Clover | Gaten Hill | TV movie | |
Superman: The Animated Series | Professor Felix (voice) | Episode: "Action Figures" | |
1997–2003 | Oz | Warden Leo Glynn | Main cast |
1998 | The Gregory Hines Show | Jack | Episode: "Carpe Diem" |
Arli$$ | Warden Leo Glynn | Episode: "Fans First" | |
1999 | Michael Jordan: An American Hero | James R. Jordan Sr. | TV movie |
Shark Attack | Lawrence Rhodes | TV movie | |
Miracle on the 17th Green | Earl Fielder | TV movie | |
2000 | Nowhere to Land | Danny Gorlin | TV movie |
2001 | Walking Shadow | 'Hawk' | TV movie |
Touched by an Angel | Norm McCloud | Episode: "The Perfect Game" | |
A Town Without Christmas | Ted | TV movie | |
Hostage Rescue Team | - | TV movie | |
2003 | Without a Trace | Manny Aybar | Episode: "Kam Li" |
2003–04 | 10-8: Officers on Duty | Senior Deputy John Henry Barnes | Main cast |
2004 | Everwood | Bill Hoover | Episode: "The Birds and the Batteries" |
2005 | Lackawanna Blues | Dick Barrymore | TV movie |
Fighting the Odds: The Marilyn Gambrell Story | Perry Beasley | TV movie | |
2006 | The Ron Clark Story | Principal Turner | TV movie |
Crossing Jordan | Colonel Wirth | Episode: "Code of Ethics" | |
Stargate SG-1 | Commander Goran Pernaux | Episode: "Ethon" | |
Celebrity Paranormal Project | Himself | Episode: "Wooden Lucy" | |
ER | Colonel James Gallant | Supporting cast (season 12) | |
2006–07 | Desperate Housewives | Detective Ridley | Recurring cast (season 3) |
2007 | Cold Case | Moses Jones | Episode: "8:03 AM" |
Final Approach | Agent Lorenzo Dawson | TV movie | |
Las Vegas | Bob Casey | Episode: "My Uncle's a Gas" & "The High Price of Gas" | |
Psych | William Guster | Episode: "Gus's Dad May Have Killed an Old Guy" | |
2007–08 | Bones | David Barron | Episode: "The Man in the Mansion" & "The Verdict in the Story" |
2008 | Private Practice | Captain Frank | Episode: "Nothing to Talk About" |
2008–13 | The Secret Life of the American Teenager | Dr. Ken Fields | Recurring cast |
2009 | Meteor | General Brasser | Main cast |
Heroes | Captain Lubbock | Recurring cast (season 4) | |
2009–10 | Law & Order | Frank Gibson | Recurring cast (season 20) |
2010 | Childrens Hospital | Hubert McGraw | Episode: "Joke Overload" |
Criminal Minds | Lieutenant Al Garner | Episode: "Devil's Night" | |
2010–13 | Transformers: Prime | Special Agent Bill Fowler (voice) | Recurring cast |
2011 | White Collar | Mr. Jeffries | Episode: "Dentist of Detroit" |
Torchwood | Stewart Owens | Episode: "Miracle Day: The Middle Men" | |
Grey's Anatomy | Brad McDougall | Episode: "Put Me In, Coach" | |
How I Met Your Mother | Himself | Episode: "The Rebound Girl" | |
Rizzoli & Isles | Admiral Frost | Episode: "Sailor Man" | |
2012 | Hart of Dixie | Ernie Hayes | Episode: "Snowflakes & Soulmates" |
Beautiful People | Jack | TV movie | |
Nosferajew | CDC Director | Episode: "Community Blech" | |
2012–14 | Franklin & Bash | Honorable Lawrence Perry | Recurring cast (season 2 & 4) |
2012–16 | Modern Family | Miles | Guest cast (season 3-4 & 7-8) |
2013 | Guys with Kids | The Judge | Episode: "Marny's Dad" |
Last Resort | Conrad Buell | Recurring cast | |
Dan Vs. | Counselor | Episode: "Summer Camp" | |
Battledogs | Max Stevens | TV movie | |
Let's Stay Together | Anthony | Episode: "Troy Story" | |
Call Me Crazy: A Five Film | Percy | TV movie | |
Scandal | Commander Randolph Boles | Episode: "Mrs. Smith Goes to Washington" | |
Ironside | Bludso | Episode: "Uptown Murders" | |
Dads | Detective Swan | Episode: "Comic Book Issues" | |
Dear Secret Santa | Pastor Avery | TV movie | |
Mob City | Bunny | Recurring Cast | |
Reckless | Frank Wolfe | TV movie | |
2014 | The Millers | Walter | Episode: "Dear Diary" |
The Haunted Hathaways | Duke Preston | Episode: "Haunted Visitor" | |
Touched by Romance | Dr. Beck | TV movie | |
Rizzoli & Isles | Admiral Frost | Episode: "...Goodbye" | |
The Lottery | - | Episode: "Sleep Deprived" | |
Scorpion | Brooks | Episode: "Pilot" | |
Key & Peele | Dad | Episode: "Terrorist Meeting" | |
Hot in Cleveland | Himself | Episode: "Cold in Cleveland: The Christmas Episode" | |
Living the Dream | Benny | TV movie | |
American Storage | Rich | Episode: "Pilot" | |
Comic Book Men | Himself | Episode: "Stashbusters" | |
2015 | Once Upon a Time | King Poseidon | Episode: "Poor Unfortunate Soul" |
To Hell and Back | Joe | TV movie | |
Delores & Jermaine | - | TV movie | |
2015–20 | Grace and Frankie | Jacob | Recurring cast (season 1-4 & 6) |
2016 | Robot Chicken | Detective Ernie/Judge Hudson Jr./Dad (voice) | Episode: "Blackout Window Heatstroke" |
Celebrity Family Feud | Himself | Episode: "Hudson vs. Leakes" | |
Heaven Sent | Donatello | TV movie | |
Graves | Jacob Mann | Recurring cast (season 1) | |
2017 | APB | Sergeant Ned Conrad | Main cast |
Angie Tribeca | Pete Tribeca | Episode: "Germs on Endearment" | |
Twin Peaks | Colonel Davis | Episode: "Part 5 & 7" | |
Survivor's Remorse | Ansell Jones | Episode: "Reparations" | |
Spider-Man | Joe 'Robbie' Robertson (voice) | Episode: "Screwball Live" | |
2018 | Lethal Weapon | Agent Peterson | Episode: "Funny Money" |
Blue Bloods | Principal Darryl Ward | Episode: "School of Hard Knocks" | |
Ballers | Mr. Hagerty | Episode: "This Is Not Our World" | |
2018–21 | The Family Business | L.C. Duncan | Main cast |
2019 | Hot Streets | John Wayne 'Jet Wayne' Junior (voice) | Main cast (season 2) |
Arrow | General Roy Stewart | Episode: "Spartan"[19] | |
Infinity Train | Atticus (voice) | Main cast (season 1) | |
2019–20 | Puppy Dog Pals | Buddy (voice) | Guest (season 2), recurring cast (season 2) |
L.A.'s Finest | Joseph Vaughn | Main cast | |
2020 | The Irate Gamer | Himself | Episode: "Ghostbusters" |
Home Movie: The Princess Bride | Prince Humperdinck | Episode: "Chapter Eight: Ultimate Suffering" | |
2021 | MacGyver | Milton Bozer [20][21] | Episode: "H2O + Orthophosphates + Mission City + Corrosion + Origins" |
2022 | Quantum Leap | Herbert “Magic” Williams | Main role |
Year | Title | Voice role | Notes |
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2009 | Ghostbusters: The Video Game | Winston Zeddemore | |
2015 | Lego Dimensions | Winston Zeddemore | |
2019 | NBA 2K20 | Israel Bacon | |
Ghostbusters: The Video Game Remastered | Winston Zeddemore | ||
2022 | Ghostbusters: Spirits Unleashed | Winston Zeddemore | [22][23][24] |
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Satellite Award for Best Actor – Television Series Drama | |
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