Ernie Hudson
Ernie Hudson
Biography
Earnest Lee Hudson (born December 17, 1945) is an American actor. He is known for his role as Winston Zeddemore in the Ghostbusters franchise. Hudson has also acted in the films Leviathan (1989), The Hand That Rocks the Cradle (1992), The Crow (1994), Airheads (1994), The Basketball Diaries (1995), Congo (1995), Miss Congeniality (2000), and The Ron Clark Story (2006). His most prominent role on television was Warden Leo Glynn on HBO's Oz (1997–2003). Hudson has also 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). From 2022 to 2024, Hudson appeared as Herbert "Magic" Williams on the NBC drama Quantum Leap.
Known For
Personal Info
Known For
Acting
Known Credits
237
Gender
Male
Birthday
1945-12-17 (79 years old)
Place of Birth
Benton Harbor, Michigan, USA
Acting

2026

Toy Story 5 as Combat Carl (voice)

2025

Boston Blue as Rev. Edwin Peters

2024

Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire as Winston Zeddemore

2024

Angry Birds Mystery Island as Marlon (voice)

2023

The Retirement Plan as Joseph

2023

Champions as Coach Phil Peretti

2023

Prisoner's Daughter as Hank

2022

Sherri as Self - Guest

2022

Quantum Leap as Herbert 'Magic' Williams

2021

Star Wars: The Bad Batch as Grini Millegi (voice)

2021

Ghostbusters: Afterlife as Winston Zeddemore

2021

Redemption Day as Ed Paxton

2021

Beebo Saves Christmas as Santa Claus (voice)

2020

Home Movie: The Princess Bride as Prince Humperdinck

2020

Reunited Apart as Self

2019

The Masked Singer as Self

2019

L.A.'s Finest as Joseph Vaughn

2019

Infinity Train as Atticus (voice)

2019

The Movies That Made Us as Winston Zeddemore (archive footage)

2019

City on a Hill as Franklin Ward

2019

Adventure Force 5 as Dr. Lawrence Abel

2018

Nappily Ever After as Richard Jones

2017

APB as Ned Conrad

2016

MacGyver as Milton Bozer

2016

Lethal Weapon as Hank Peterson

2016

Angie Tribeca as Pete Tribeca

2016

Ghostbusters as Uncle Bill

2016

God's Not Dead 2 as Judge Stennis

2016

Graves as Jacob Mann

2016

Heaven Sent as Donatello

2016

Batman: Bad Blood as Lucius Fox (voice)

2016

The Man in the Silo as Marcus Wells

2015

Grace and Frankie as Jacob

2015

Ballers as Mr. Hagerty

2015

Gallows Road as Bob Collins

2014

Scorpion as Brooks

2014

The Grim Sleeper as Detective Gerry Claymar

2014

To Hell and Back as Joe

2014

You're Not You as John

2013

The Last Leg as Self

2013

The Millers as Walter

2013

Ironside as Bludso

2013

Doonby as Leroy Jackson

2013

Dear Secret Santa as Pastor Avery

2012

Arrow as Roy Stewart

2012

Scandal as Commander Randolph Boles

2012

Key & Peele as Dad

2012

Comic Book Men as Self

2012

Guys with Kids as The Judge

2012

Beautiful People as Jack

2011

Franklin & Bash as Judge Lawrence Perry

2011

Once Upon a Time as King Poseidon

2011

Hart of Dixie as Ernie Hayes

2011

Deep Blue Breath as Lord Vater (voice)

2011

Game of Death as Clarence

2010

Blue Bloods as Darryl Ward

2010

Rizzoli & Isles as Admiral Frost

2010

Hot in Cleveland as Ernie Hudson

2010

Transformers: Prime as Agent William Fowler (voice)

2010

Smokin' Aces 2: Assassins' Ball as Anthony Vejar

2010

Stasis as Stranger

2009

Modern Family as Miles

2009

White Collar as Mr. Jeffries

2009

Fatal Secrets as Detective Carter

2009

Dragonball Evolution as Master Mutaito

2009

Meteor as Gen. Brasser

2009

Lonely Street as Captain Morgan

2008

Childrens Hospital as Hubert McGraw

2008

Final Approach as Agent Lorenzo Dawson

2007

Private Practice as Captain Frank

2007

Nobel Son as Bill Canega

2007

All Hat as Jackson Jones

2006

Psych as William Guster

2006

Heroes as Captain Lubbock

2006

Torchwood as Stuart Owens

2006

The Ron Clark Story as Principal Turner

2005

Grey's Anatomy as Brad McDougall

2005

Criminal Minds as Lt. Al Garner

2005

Bones as David Barron

2005

How I Met Your Mother as Ernie Hudson

2005

Robot Chicken as Detective Ernie / Judge Hudson Jr. / Justin's Dad (voice)

2005

Confessions of an Action Star as Self / Commander

2005

Halfway Decent as Tom

2004

Desperate Housewives as Detective Ridley

2004

Clifford's Really Big Movie as P.T. (voice)

2003

Cold Case as Moses Jones

2003

Las Vegas as Bob Casey

2003

10-8: Officers on Duty as Senior Deputy John Henry Barnes

2003

Anne B. Real as Principal

2002

Without a Trace as Manny Aybar

2002

Everwood as Bill Hoover

2001

Crossing Jordan as Colonel Wirth

2000

Miss Congeniality as Harry McDonald

2000

The Watcher as FBI Special Agent in Charge Mike Ibby

2000

Red Letters as Detective Glen Teal

1999

Stealth Fighter as President Westwood

1999

Hijack as Senator Douglas Wilson

1998

October 22 as Arthur

1997

Stargate SG-1 as Pernaux

1997

The View as Self

1997

Oz as Leo Glynn

1997

Mr. Magoo as Agent CIA Gus Anders

1997

Operation Delta Force as Major Tipton

1996

Superman: The Animated Series as Professor Felix (voice)

1996

The Substitute as Claude Rolle

1996

The Cherokee Kid as Nat Love aka Deadwood Dick

1996

Tornado! as Dr. Joe Branson

1995

The Basketball Diaries as Reggie

1995

Congo as Captain Munro Kelly

1994

ER as Colonel James Gallant

1994

Touched by an Angel as Norm McCloud

1994

The Crow as Albrecht

1994

No Escape as Hawkins

1994

Airheads as Sergeant O'Malley

1994

Speechless as Ventura

1993

Wild Palms as Tommy Lazlo

1992

Batman: The Animated Series as Security Guard (voice)

1992

The Ben Stiller Show as Not available

1992

Angel Street as Thurman Nickens

1990

Law & Order as Frank Gibson

1990

Twin Peaks as Colonel Davis

1990

Broken Badges as Toby Baker

1989

Tales from the Crypt as Zambini

1989

The Super Mario Bros. Super Show! as Not available

1989

Ghostbusters II as Winston Zeddemore

1989

Leviathan as Justin Jones

1989

Collision Course as Shortcut

1988

The Wrong Guys as Dawson

1987

Full House as Reggie "The Sandman" Martin

1986

The Last Precinct as Sergeant Lane

1985

Love on the Run as Lamar

1984

Ghostbusters as Winston Zeddemore

1983

The A-Team as Cal Freeman

1983

Webster as Not available

1983

Going Berserk as Muhammed Jerome Willy

1982

St. Elsewhere as Not available

1982

The New Odd Couple as Moses Brown

1982

Penitentiary II as Half Dead

1981

Flamingo Road as Not available

1981

A Matter of Life and Death as Mr. Harrison

1981

Underground Aces as African General

1980

Bosom Buddies as Not available

1980

The $5.20 an Hour Dream as Homer Burden

1980

The Octagon as Quinine

1980

The Jazz Singer as Heckler

1980

Skag as Not available

1980

White Mama as Counsellor

1979

Joni as Earl

1979

Detective School as Not available

1979

Highcliffe Manor as Smythe

1979

The Main Event as Killer

1978

Taxi as Terry Carver

1978

Fantasy Island as Jamu

1978

The White Shadow as Johnson

1978

Last of the Good Guys as El Coliph

1974

Little House on the Prairie as William Thomas

NaN

Sisters in Italy as Not available

2025

FEEL as Sitter 10

2022

In Search of Tomorrow as Self - Interviewee

2016

Infinity Train as Atticus (voice)

2016

Ghostheads as Self

2016

Spaceman as Joe

2014

Touched as Dr. Beck

2014

Showing Up as Self

2014

Merry Ex-Mas as Pastor Ed

2014

The Last Song as Guest

2013

Turning Point as Joe Johnson

2013

Battledogs as Max Stevens

2012

Ambush at Dark Canyon as Cyrus Parker

2012

Deer Crossing as Captain Bailey

2010

Machete Joe as Sheriff Taylor

2010

Nowhere to Land as Danny Gorlin

2009

Pastor Brown as Deacon Harold Todd

2005

Lackawanna Blues as Dick Barrymore

2001

Walking Shadow as Hawk

2000

Paper Bullets as Detective Ron Mills

2000

Everything's Jake as Jake

1999

Interceptors as Major

1999

A Stranger in the Kingdom as Rev. Walter Andrews

1999

Shark Attack as Lawrence Rhodes

1999

Michael Jordan: An American Hero as Not available

1998

Butter as Curtis '8-Ball' Harris

1998

Best of the Best 4: Without Warning as Detective Gresko

1997

Levitation as Downbeat

1997

Clover as Gaten Hill

1997

Fakin' Da Funk as Joe Lee

1996

Just Your Luck as Willie

1996

For Which He Stands as DEA Agent Baxter

1994

The Cowboy Way as Officer Sam 'Mad Dog' Shaw

1994

Sugar Hill as Lolly Jonas

1989

Trapper County War as Jefferson Carter

1987

Weeds as Bagdad

1986

The Last Precinct as Night Train

1985

The Insiders as Brewster

1985

California Girls as Ernie

1984

Joy of Sex as Mr. Porter

1983

Two of a Kind as Det. Skaggs

1983

Women of San Quentin as Charles Wilson

1981

Crazy Times as Harold 'Jazzman' Malloy

1978

Diff'rent Strokes as Not available

1976

Leadbelly as Archie

NaN

Famous as Not available

NaN

Beautiful People as Jack

1977

Mad Bull as Black Bart

1973

Super Friends as Cyborg (voice)

NaN

Mr. Beebee as Wayne Proctor

NaN

Deepest, Darkest as Not available

NaN

Oswald: Down The Rabbit Hole as Oswald Jebediah Coleman
Crew

2023

Ghost in the House Writer

2018

Carl Weber's The Family Business Executive Producer