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)
- The Movies That Made Us as Winston Zeddemore (archive footage)
- L.A.'s Finest as Joseph Vaughn
- City on a Hill as Franklin Ward
- 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
- Graves as Jacob Mann
- Ghostbusters as Uncle Bill
- Batman: Bad Blood as Lucius Fox (voice)
- God's Not Dead 2 as Judge Stennis
- Ghostheads as Self
- Heaven Sent as Donatello
- Spaceman as Joe
- Infinity Train as Atticus (voice)
- The Man in the Silo as Marcus Wells
2015
- Ballers as Mr. Hagerty
- Grace and Frankie as Jacob
- 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
- You're Not You as John
- Showing Up as Self
- Merry Ex-Mas as Pastor Ed
- The Grim Sleeper as Detective Gerry Claymar
- Touched as Dr. Beck
- To Hell and Back as Joe
- The Last Song as Guest
2013
- The Last Leg as Self
- The Millers as Walter
- Ironside as Bludso
- Call Me Crazy: A Five Film as Percy
- Doonby as Leroy Jackson
- 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
- Guys with Kids as The Judge
- Beverly Hills Chihuahua 3: Viva la Fiesta! as Pedro (voice)
- The Adventures of Mickey Matson and the Copperhead Conspiracy as Ivan Stumpwater
- Ambush at Dark Canyon as Cyrus Parker
- Deer Crossing as Captain Bailey
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)
- Smokin' Aces 2: Assassins' Ball as Anthony Vejar
- Nowhere to Land as Danny Gorlin
- Machete Joe as Sheriff Taylor
- Stasis as Stranger
2009
- Modern Family as Miles
- White Collar as Mr. Jeffries
- Celebrity Ghost Stories as Self
- Dragonball Evolution as Master Mutaito
- Meteor as Gen. Brasser
- Fatal Secrets as Detective Carter
- Lonely Street as Captain Morgan
- Pastor Brown as Deacon Harold Todd
2008
- The Secret Life of the American Teenager as Dr. Ken Fields
- Childrens Hospital as Hubert McGraw
- 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
- 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
- The Watcher as FBI Special Agent in Charge Mike Ibby
- Red Letters as Detective Glen Teal
- Everything's Jake as Jake
- Paper Bullets as Detective Ron Mills
1999
- Hijack as Senator Douglas Wilson
- Stealth Fighter as President Westwood
- A Stranger in the Kingdom as Rev. Walter Andrews
- Interceptors as Major
- Shark Attack as Lawrence Rhodes
- Michael Jordan: An American Hero
1998
- Best of the Best 4: Without Warning as Detective Gresko
- Butter as Curtis '8-Ball' Harris
- October 22 as Arthur
1997
- Stargate SG-1 as Pernaux
- Oz as Leo Glynn
- The View as Self
- Mr. Magoo as Agent CIA Gus Anders
- Operation Delta Force as Major Tipton
- Clover as Gaten Hill
- Fakin' Da Funk as Joe Lee
- 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
- Tornado! as Dr. Joe Branson
- 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 James Gallant
- Touched by an Angel as Norm McCloud
- The Crow as Albrecht
- Airheads as Sergeant O'Malley
- No Escape as Hawkins
- The Cowboy Way as Officer Sam 'Mad Dog' Shaw
- Sugar Hill as Lolly Jonas
- Speechless as Ventura
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
- Cop Rock as Cmdr. Warren Osborne
- Broken Badges as Toby Baker
1989
- Tales from the Crypt as Zambini
- The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!
- Ghostbusters II as Winston Zeddemore
- Leviathan as Justin Jones
- Collision Course as Shortcut
- Trapper County War as Jefferson Carter
1988
- The Dirty Dozen: The Fatal Mission as Joe Hamilton
- The Wrong Guys as Dawson
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
- Love on the Run as Lamar
- California Girls as Ernie
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
- Spacehunter: Adventures in the Forbidden Zone as Washington
- Going Berserk as Muhammed Jerome Willy
- 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
- Underground Aces as African General
- Crazy Times as Harold 'Jazzman' Malloy
- 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
- Joni as Earl
- Highcliffe Manor as Smythe
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
- The Human Tornado as Bo
- Leadbelly as Archie
1974
- Little House on the Prairie as William Thomas
1973
- Super Friends as Cyborg (voice)