Ernie Hudson
Born: 1945-12-17 in Benton Harbor, Michigan, USA
Known For: Acting
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.
Filmography
2026
- Toy Story 5 as Combat Carl (voice)
2025
- Boston Blue as Rev. Edwin Peters
- FEEL as Sitter 10
2024
- Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire as Winston Zeddemore
- Angry Birds Mystery Island as Marlon (voice)
2023
- Champions as Coach Phil Peretti
- The Retirement Plan as Joseph
- Prisoner's Daughter as Hank
- Ghost in the House ... (Writer)
2022
- The Jennifer Hudson Show as Self
- Sherri as Self - Guest
- Quantum Leap as Herbert 'Magic' Williams
- In Search of Tomorrow as Self - Interviewee
2021
- Star Wars: The Bad Batch as Grini Millegi (voice)
- Ghostbusters: Afterlife as Winston Zeddemore
- Redemption Day as Ed Paxton
- Beebo Saves Christmas as Santa Claus (voice)
2020
- Home Movie: The Princess Bride as Prince Humperdinck
- Reunited Apart as Self
- Cleanin' Up the Town: Remembering Ghostbusters as Self
2019
- The Kelly Clarkson Show as Self
- The Masked Singer as Self - Special Guest
- Infinity Train as Atticus (voice)
- L.A.'s Finest as Joseph Vaughn
- City on a Hill as Franklin Ward
- The Movies That Made Us as Winston Zeddemore (archive footage)
- Adventure Force 5 as Dr. Lawrence Abel
2018
- Carl Weber's The Family Business as L.C. Duncan
- Nappily Ever After as Richard Jones
- High & Outside: A Baseball Noir as Sanzone
2017
- APB as Ned Conrad
2016
- MacGyver as Milton Bozer
- Lethal Weapon as Hank Peterson
- Angie Tribeca as Pete Tribeca
- Heaven Sent as Donatello
- Ghostbusters as Uncle Bill
- God's Not Dead 2 as Judge Stennis
- Batman: Bad Blood as Lucius Fox (voice)
- Spaceman as Joe
- Graves as Jacob Mann
- Ghostheads as Self
- The Man in the Silo as Marcus Wells
- Infinity Train as Atticus (voice)
2015
- Grace and Frankie as Jacob
- Ballers as Mr. Hagerty
- Gallows Road as Bob Collins
- Horror Icon: Inside Michael's Mask with Tony Moran as Self
2014
- The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon as Self
- Late Night with Seth Meyers as Self
- Scorpion as Brooks
- Touched as Dr. Beck
- Showing Up as Self
- You're Not You as John
- Merry Ex-Mas as Pastor Ed
- The Grim Sleeper as Detective Gerry Claymar
- To Hell and Back as Joe
- The Last Song as Guest
2013
- The Last Leg as Self
- The Millers as Walter
- Doonby as Leroy Jackson
- Call Me Crazy: A Five Film as Percy
- Ironside as Bludso
- Dear Secret Santa as Pastor Avery
- Turning Point as Joe Johnson
- Battledogs as Max Stevens
2012
- Arrow as Roy Stewart
- Scandal as Commander Randolph Boles
- Key & Peele as Dad
- Comic Book Men as Self
- Beverly Hills Chihuahua 3: Viva la Fiesta! as Pedro (voice)
- Deer Crossing as Captain Bailey
- Beautiful People as Jack
- Guys with Kids as The Judge
- The Adventures of Mickey Matson and the Copperhead Conspiracy as Ivan Stumpwater
- Ambush at Dark Canyon as Cyrus Parker
2011
- Once Upon a Time as King Poseidon
- Hart of Dixie as Ernie Hayes
- Franklin & Bash as Judge Lawrence Perry
- Beverly Hills Chihuahua 2 as Pedro
- Game of Death as Clarence
- Underground Entertainment: The Movie as Ernie
- Deep Blue Breath as Lord Vater (voice)
2010
- Blue Bloods as Darryl Ward
- Rizzoli & Isles as Admiral Frost
- Hot in Cleveland as Ernie Hudson
- Transformers: Prime as Agent William Fowler (voice)
- Stasis as Stranger
- Machete Joe as Sheriff Taylor
- Smokin' Aces 2: Assassins' Ball as Anthony Vejar
- Nowhere to Land as Danny Gorlin
2009
- Modern Family as Miles
- White Collar as Mr. Jeffries
- Celebrity Ghost Stories as Self
- Dragonball Evolution as Master Mutaito
- Pastor Brown as Deacon Harold Todd
- Meteor as Gen. Brasser
- Fatal Secrets as Detective Carter
- Lonely Street as Captain Morgan
2008
- Childrens Hospital as Hubert McGraw
- The Secret Life of the American Teenager as Dr. Ken Fields
- Final Approach as Agent Lorenzo Dawson
2007
- Private Practice as Captain Frank
- Nobel Son as Bill Canega
- All Hat as Jackson Jones
2006
- Psych as William Guster
- Heroes as Captain Lubbock
- Torchwood as Stuart Owens
- The Ron Clark Story as Principal Turner
- Marilyn Hotchkiss' Ballroom Dancing & Charm School as Blake Rische
- Snoop Dogg's Hood of Horror as Roscoe
2005
- Grey's Anatomy as Brad McDougall
- Criminal Minds as Lt. Al Garner
- Bones as David Barron
- How I Met Your Mother as Ernie Hudson
- Robot Chicken as Detective Ernie / Judge Hudson Jr. / Justin's Dad (voice)
- Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous as Harry McDonald
- Halfway Decent as Tom
- Confessions of an Action Star as Self / Commander
- Lackawanna Blues as Dick Barrymore
- Fighting the Odds: The Marilyn Gambrell Story as Perry Beasley
2004
- Desperate Housewives as Detective Ridley
- Clifford's Really Big Movie as P.T. (voice)
2003
- Cold Case as Moses Jones
- Las Vegas as Bob Casey
- 10-8: Officers on Duty as Senior Deputy John Henry Barnes
- Anne B. Real as Principal
2002
- Without a Trace as Manny Aybar
- Everwood as Bill Hoover
2001
- Crossing Jordan as Colonel Wirth
- A Town Without Christmas as Ted
- Walking Shadow as Hawk
2000
- Miss Congeniality as Harry McDonald
- Paper Bullets as Detective Ron Mills
- Red Letters as Detective Glen Teal
- The Watcher as FBI Special Agent in Charge Mike Ibby
- Everything's Jake as Jake
1999
- Stealth Fighter as President Westwood
- Interceptors as Major
- Shark Attack as Lawrence Rhodes
- A Stranger in the Kingdom as Rev. Walter Andrews
- Michael Jordan: An American Hero
- Hijack as Senator Douglas Wilson
1998
- Butter as Curtis '8-Ball' Harris
- October 22 as Arthur
- Best of the Best 4: Without Warning as Detective Gresko
1997
- Stargate SG-1 as Pernaux
- The View as Self
- Oz as Leo Glynn
- Mr. Magoo as Agent CIA Gus Anders
- Clover as Gaten Hill
- Operation Delta Force as Major Tipton
- Levitation as Downbeat
- Fakin' Da Funk as Joe Lee
1996
- Superman: The Animated Series as Professor Felix (voice)
- Tornado! as Dr. Joe Branson
- The Substitute as Claude Rolle
- The Cherokee Kid as Nat Love aka Deadwood Dick
- Just Your Luck as Willie
- For Which He Stands as DEA Agent Baxter
1995
- The Basketball Diaries as Reggie
- Congo as Captain Monroe Kelly
1994
- ER as Colonel James Gallant
- Touched by an Angel as Norm McCloud
- The Crow as Albrecht
- Sugar Hill as Lolly Jonas
- No Escape as Hawkins
- Airheads as Sergeant O'Malley
- Speechless as Ventura
- The Cowboy Way as Officer Sam 'Mad Dog' Shaw
1993
- Wild Palms as Tommy Lazlo
1992
- Batman: The Animated Series as Security Guard (voice)
- The Hand That Rocks the Cradle as Solomon
- The Ben Stiller Show
- Angel Street as Thurman Nickens
1990
- Law & Order as Frank Gibson
- Twin Peaks as Colonel Davis
- Broken Badges as Toby Baker
1989
- Ghostbusters II as Winston Zeddemore
- Tales from the Crypt as Zambini
- The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!
- Collision Course as Shortcut
- Leviathan as Justin Jones
- Trapper County War as Jefferson Carter
1988
- The Wrong Guys as Dawson
- The Dirty Dozen: The Fatal Mission as Joe Hamilton
1987
- Full House as Reggie "The Sandman" Martin
- Weeds as Bagdad
1986
- The Last Precinct as Sergeant Lane
- The Last Precinct as Night Train
1985
- The Insiders as Brewster
- The Super Powers Team: Galactic Guardians as Cyborg (voice)
- Love on the Run as Lamar
- California Girls as Ernie
1984
- Ghostbusters as Winston Zeddemore
- Joy of Sex as Mr. Porter
1983
- The A-Team as Cal Freeman
- Webster
- Going Berserk as Muhammed Jerome Willy
- Two of a Kind as Det. Skaggs
- Spacehunter: Adventures in the Forbidden Zone as Washington
- Women of San Quentin as Charles Wilson
1982
- St. Elsewhere as Jerry Close
- Penitentiary II as Half Dead
- The New Odd Couple as Moses Brown
1981
- Underground Aces as African General
- Flamingo Road
- Crazy Times as Harold 'Jazzman' Malloy
- A Matter of Life and Death as Mr. Harrison
1980
- White Mama as Counsellor
- Bosom Buddies
- The Octagon as Quinine
- The Jazz Singer as Heckler
- Skag
- The $5.20 an Hour Dream as Homer Burden
1979
- Roots: The Next Generations as Muslim at Door
- Joni as Earl
- The Main Event as Killer
- Detective School
- Highcliffe Manor as Smythe
1978
- Taxi as Terry Carver
- Fantasy Island as Jamu
- The White Shadow as Johnson
- Last of the Good Guys as El Coliph
- Diff'rent Strokes
1977
- The Incredible Hulk as Lee
- Mad Bull as Black Bart
- Man from Atlantis IV: The Disappearances as Minion
1976
- Leadbelly as Archie
- The Human Tornado as Bo
1974
- Little House on the Prairie as William Thomas
1973
- Super Friends as Cyborg (voice)