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
- John Candy: I Like Me as Self - Actor (archive footage)
- 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)
- Darrin's Dance Grooves: The Untold Darrin Henson Story as Self (voiceover)
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
2016
- MacGyver as Milton Bozer
- Lethal Weapon as Hank Peterson
- Angie Tribeca as Pete Tribeca
- Ghostbusters as Uncle Bill
- Graves as Jacob Mann
- Batman: Bad Blood as Lucius Fox (voice)
- God's Not Dead 2 as Judge Stennis
- Heaven Sent as Donatello
- Spaceman as Joe
- Ghostheads as Self
- Infinity Train as Atticus (voice)
- The Man in the Silo as Marcus Wells
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 - Guest
- Scorpion as Brooks
- Showing Up as Self
- You're Not You as John
- Merry Ex-Mas as Pastor Ed
- Touched as Dr. Beck
- The Grim Sleeper as Detective Gerry Claymar
- The Last Song as Guest
- To Hell and Back as Joe
2013
- The Last Leg as Self
- The Millers as Walter
- Ironside as Bludso
- Call Me Crazy: A Five Film as Percy
- Turning Point as Joe Johnson
- Dear Secret Santa as Pastor Avery
- Doonby as Leroy Jackson
- Battledogs as Max Stevens
2012
- Arrow as Roy Stewart
- Scandal as Commander Randolph Boles
- Key & Peele as Dad
- Comic Book Men as Self
- Guys with Kids as The Judge
- Beverly Hills Chihuahua 3: Viva la Fiesta! as Pedro (voice)
- Deer Crossing as Captain Bailey
- 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
- Franklin & Bash as Judge Lawrence Perry
- Hart of Dixie as Ernie Hayes
- 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)
- Smokin' Aces 2: Assassins' Ball as Anthony Vejar
- Machete Joe as Sheriff Taylor
- Stasis as Stranger
2009
- Modern Family as Miles
- White Collar as Mr. Jeffries
- Celebrity Ghost Stories as Self
- Meteor as Gen. Brasser
- Dragonball Evolution as Master Mutaito
- Pastor Brown as Deacon Harold Todd
- 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
- Snoop Dogg's Hood of Horror as Roscoe
- Marilyn Hotchkiss' Ballroom Dancing & Charm School as Blake Rische
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
- Confessions of an Action Star as Self / Commander
- Lackawanna Blues as Dick Barrymore
- Fighting the Odds: The Marilyn Gambrell Story as Perry Beasley
- Halfway Decent as Tom
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
- Everwood as Bill Hoover
- Without a Trace as Manny Aybar
2001
- Crossing Jordan as Colonel Wirth
- Walking Shadow as Hawk
- A Town Without Christmas as Ted
2000
- Miss Congeniality as Harry McDonald
- The Watcher as FBI Special Agent in Charge Mike Ibby
- Everything's Jake as Jake
- Nowhere to Land as Danny Gorlin
- Red Letters as Detective Glen Teal
- Paper Bullets as Detective Ron Mills
1999
- Stealth Fighter as President Westwood
- Shark Attack as Lawrence Rhodes
- Michael Jordan: An American Hero
- Hijack as Senator Douglas Wilson
- A Stranger in the Kingdom as Rev. Walter Andrews
- Interceptors as Major
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
- Fakin' Da Funk as Joe Lee
- Operation Delta Force as Major Tipton
- Clover as Gaten Hill
- Levitation as Downbeat
1996
- Superman: The Animated Series as Professor Felix (voice)
- Arli$$ as Warden Leo Glynn
- 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
- Tornado! as Dr. Joe Branson
1995
- The Basketball Diaries as Reggie
- Congo as Captain Monroe Kelly
1994
- ER as James Gallant
- Touched by an Angel as Norm McCloud
- The Crow as Albrecht
- No Escape as Hawkins
- The Cowboy Way as Officer Sam 'Mad Dog' Shaw
- Speechless as Ventura
- Airheads as Sergeant O'Malley
- Sugar Hill as Lolly Jonas
1993
- Wild Palms as Tommy Lazlo
1992
- Batman: The Animated Series as Security Guard (voice)
- The Ben Stiller Show
- Angel Street as Thurman Nickens
- The Hand That Rocks the Cradle as Solomon
1990
- Law & Order as Frank Gibson
- Twin Peaks as Colonel Davis
- Cop Rock as Cmdr. Warren Osborne
- Broken Badges as Toby Baker
1989
- Tales from the Crypt as Zambini
- The Super Mario Bros. Super Show! as Ernie Hudson
- Ghostbusters II as Winston Zeddemore
- Leviathan as Justin Jones
- Collision Course as Shortcut
- 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 Super Powers Team: Galactic Guardians as Cyborg (voice)
- The Insiders as Brewster
- California Girls as Ernie
- Love on the Run as Lamar
1984
- Ghostbusters as Winston Zeddemore
- Joy of Sex as Mr. Porter
- On the Scene with the Ghostbusters
1983
- The A-Team as Cal Freeman
- Webster
- Two of a Kind as Det. Skaggs
- Going Berserk as Muhammed Jerome Willy
- Spacehunter: Adventures in the Forbidden Zone as Washington
- Women of San Quentin as Charles Wilson
1982
- St. Elsewhere as Jerry Close
- The New Odd Couple as Moses Brown
- Penitentiary II as Half Dead
1981
- Flamingo Road
- Crazy Times as Harold 'Jazzman' Malloy
- Underground Aces as African General
- A Matter of Life and Death as Mr. Harrison
1980
- Bosom Buddies
- The Octagon as Quinine
- The Jazz Singer as Heckler
- Skag
- White Mama as Counsellor
- The $5.20 an Hour Dream as Homer Burden
1979
- Roots: The Next Generations as Muslim at Door
- Detective School
- The Main Event as Killer
- Highcliffe Manor as Smythe
- Joni as Earl
1978
- Taxi as Terry Carver
- Fantasy Island as Jamu
- The White Shadow as Johnson
- Diff'rent Strokes
- Last of the Good Guys as El Coliph
1977
- The Incredible Hulk as Lee
- Man from Atlantis IV: The Disappearances as Minion
- Mad Bull as Black Bart
1976
- Leadbelly as Archie
- The Human Tornado as Bo
1974
- Little House on the Prairie as William Thomas
1973
- Super Friends as Cyborg (voice)