Ernie Hudson
Acting1945Benton Harbor, Michigan, USA
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
Acting History
Future
Mr. Beebee
as Wayne Proctor
Oswald: Down The Rabbit Hole
as Oswald Jebediah Coleman
Beautiful People
TVas Jack
2026
Toy Story 5
as Combat Carl (voice)
2025
FEEL
as Sitter 10
John Candy: I Like Me
as Self - Actor (archive footage)
Boston Blue
TVas Rev. Edwin Peters• 10 eps
The Masked Singer
TVas Self - Special Guest• 1 eps
2024
Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire
as Winston Zeddemore
Angry Birds Mystery Island
TVas Marlon (voice)• 1 eps
Sherri
TVas Self - Guest• 2 eps
The Last Leg
TVas Self• 1 eps
2023
The Retirement Plan
as Joseph
Champions
as Coach Phil Peretti
Prisoner's Daughter
as Hank
Darrin's Dance Grooves: The Untold Darrin Henson Story
as Self (voiceover)
The Jennifer Hudson Show
TVas Self• 2 eps
Star Wars: The Bad Batch
TVas Grini Millegi (voice)• 1 eps
Ghost in the House
Writer
2022
In Search of Tomorrow
as Self - Interviewee
City on a Hill
TVas Franklin Ward• 2 eps
Quantum Leap
TVas Herbert 'Magic' Williams• 31 eps
2021
Ghostbusters: Afterlife
as Winston Zeddemore
Redemption Day
as Ed Paxton
Beebo Saves Christmas
as Santa Claus (voice)
MacGyver
TVas Milton Bozer• 1 eps
The Kelly Clarkson Show
TVas Self• 3 eps
2020
Home Movie: The Princess Bride
TVas Prince Humperdinck• 1 eps
Reunited Apart
TVas Self• 1 eps
2019
Adventure Force 5
as Dr. Lawrence Abel
Arrow
TVas Roy Stewart• 1 eps
L.A.'s Finest
TVas Joseph Vaughn• 26 eps
The Movies That Made Us
TVas Winston Zeddemore (archive footage)• 1 eps
Infinity Train
TVas Atticus (voice)• 7 eps
2018
Nappily Ever After
as Richard Jones
High & Outside: A Baseball Noir
as Sanzone
Carl Weber's The Family Business
TVas L.C. Duncan• 62 eps
Lethal Weapon
TVas Hank Peterson• 1 eps
Blue Bloods
TVas Darryl Ward• 1 eps
Ballers
TVas Mr. Hagerty• 1 eps
Carl Weber's The Family Business
TVExecutive Producer• 10 eps
2017
2016
Heaven Sent
as Donatello
God's Not Dead 2
as Judge Stennis
Batman: Bad Blood
as Lucius Fox (voice)
Infinity Train
as Atticus (voice)
Ghostheads
as Self
Spaceman
as Joe
The Man in the Silo
as Marcus Wells
Ghostbusters
as Uncle Bill
Graves
TVas Jacob Mann
Robot Chicken
TVas Detective Ernie / Judge Hudson Jr. / Justin's Dad (voice)• 1 eps
2015
Gallows Road
as Bob Collins
Once Upon a Time
TVas King Poseidon• 1 eps
Grace and Frankie
TVas Jacob• 17 eps
2014
You're Not You
as John
The Grim Sleeper
as Detective Gerry Claymar
Showing Up
as Self
Touched
as Dr. Beck
To Hell and Back
as Joe
Merry Ex-Mas
as Pastor Ed
The Last Song
as Guest
Scorpion
TVas Brooks• 1 eps
Key & Peele
TVas Dad• 1 eps
Hot in Cleveland
TVas Ernie Hudson• 1 eps
Comic Book Men
TVas Self• 1 eps
Late Night with Seth Meyers
TVas Self - Guest
2013
Call Me Crazy: A Five Film
as Percy
Doonby
as Leroy Jackson
Dear Secret Santa
as Pastor Avery
Battledogs
as Max Stevens
Turning Point
as Joe Johnson
The Millers
TVas Walter
Scandal
TVas Commander Randolph Boles• 1 eps
Ironside
TVas Bludso
2012
Deer Crossing
as Captain Bailey
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
Beautiful People
as Jack
Franklin & Bash
TVas Judge Lawrence Perry• 4 eps
Hart of Dixie
TVas Ernie Hayes• 1 eps
Modern Family
TVas Miles• 4 eps
Guys with Kids
TVas The Judge
2011
Beverly Hills Chihuahua 2
as Pedro
Game of Death
as Clarence
Deep Blue Breath
as Lord Vater (voice)
Torchwood
TVas Stuart Owens• 1 eps
White Collar
TVas Mr. Jeffries• 1 eps
How I Met Your Mother
TVas Ernie Hudson• 1 eps
Rizzoli & Isles
TVas Admiral Frost• 2 eps
Grey's Anatomy
TVas Brad McDougall• 1 eps
2010
Stasis
as Stranger
Machete Joe
as Sheriff Taylor
Smokin' Aces 2: Assassins' Ball
as Anthony Vejar
Nowhere to Land
as Danny Gorlin
Criminal Minds
TVas Lt. Al Garner• 1 eps
Transformers: Prime
TVas Agent William Fowler (voice)• 65 eps
Childrens Hospital
TVas Hubert McGraw• 1 eps
2009
Lonely Street
as Captain Morgan
Dragonball Evolution
as Master Mutaito
Pastor Brown
as Deacon Harold Todd
Fatal Secrets
as Detective Carter
Meteor
TVas Gen. Brasser
Celebrity Ghost Stories
TVas Self• 1 eps
Heroes
TVas Captain Lubbock• 2 eps
Law & Order
TVas Frank Gibson• 7 eps
2008
Final Approach
as Agent Lorenzo Dawson
Private Practice
TVas Captain Frank• 1 eps
The Secret Life of the American Teenager
TVas Dr. Ken Fields• 18 eps
2006
Snoop Dogg's Hood of Horror
as Roscoe
Triumph: The Ron Clark Story
as Principal Turner
Marilyn Hotchkiss' Ballroom Dancing & Charm School
as Blake Rische
Desperate Housewives
TVas Detective Ridley• 7 eps
Crossing Jordan
TVas Colonel Wirth• 1 eps
Stargate SG-1
TVas Pernaux• 1 eps
ER
TVas Colonel James Gallant• 2 eps
2005
Halfway Decent
as Tom
Confessions of an Action Star
as Self / Commander
Fighting the Odds: The Marilyn Gambrell Story
as Perry Beasley
Lackawanna Blues
as Dick Barrymore
Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous
as Harry McDonald
2004
Clifford's Really Big Movie
as P.T. (voice)
Everwood
TVas Bill Hoover• 1 eps
2003
Anne B. Real
as Principal
10-8: Officers on Duty
TVas Senior Deputy John Henry Barnes• 15 eps
Without a Trace
TVas Manny Aybar• 1 eps
2001
2000
Miss Congeniality
as Harry McDonald
Everything's Jake
as Jake
The Watcher
as FBI Special Agent in Charge Mike Ibby
Red Letters
as Detective Glen Teal
Paper Bullets
as Detective Ron Mills
1999
Interceptors
as Major
Shark Attack
as Lawrence Rhodes
Hijack
as Senator Douglas Wilson
A Stranger in the Kingdom
as Rev. Walter Andrews
Stealth Fighter
as President Westwood
1998
Butter
as Curtis '8-Ball' Harris
October 22
as Arthur
Best of the Best 4: Without Warning
as Detective Gresko
Arli$$
TVas Warden Leo Glynn• 1 eps
1997
Clover
as Gaten Hill
Fakin' Da Funk
as Joe Lee
Mr. Magoo
as Agent CIA Gus Anders
Operation Delta Force
as Major Tipton
Levitation
as Downbeat
Oz
TVas Leo Glynn• 56 eps
Superman: The Animated Series
TVas Professor Felix (voice)• 1 eps
The View
TVas Self
1996
Tornado!
as Dr. Joe Branson
The Cherokee Kid
as Nat Love aka Deadwood Dick
For Which He Stands
as DEA Agent Baxter
Just Your Luck
as Willie
The Substitute
as Claude Rolle
1995
Congo
as Captain Monroe Kelly
The Basketball Diaries
as Reggie
1994
Airheads
as Sergeant O'Malley
The Cowboy Way
as Officer Sam 'Mad Dog' Shaw
The Crow
as Albrecht
No Escape
as Hawkins
Speechless
as Ventura
Sugar Hill
as Lolly Jonas
1993
Tales from the Crypt
TVas Zambini• 1 eps
Wild Palms
TVas Tommy Lazlo• 5 eps
1992
The Hand That Rocks the Cradle
as Solomon
Batman: The Animated Series
TVas Security Guard (voice)• 1 eps
Angel Street
TVas Thurman Nickens
1990
Broken Badges
TVas Toby Baker
Cop Rock
TVas Cmdr. Warren Osborne
1989
Ghostbusters II
as Winston Zeddemore
Collision Course
as Shortcut
Leviathan
as Justin Jones
Trapper County War
as Jefferson Carter
1988
The Dirty Dozen: The Fatal Mission
as Joe Hamilton
The Wrong Guys
as Dawson
1987
Weeds
as Bagdad
Full House
TVas Reggie "The Sandman" Martin• 1 eps
1986
The Last Precinct
as Night Train
The Last Precinct
TVas Sergeant Lane
1985
Love on the Run
as Lamar
California Girls
as Ernie
The Super Powers Team: Galactic Guardians
TVas Cyborg (voice)• 10 eps
Super Friends
TVas Cyborg (voice)• 8 eps
The Insiders
TVas Brewster
1984
1983
Going Berserk
as Muhammed Jerome Willy
Pair of Jokers
as Det. Skaggs
Spacehunter: Adventures in the Forbidden Zone
as Washington
Women of San Quentin
as Charles Wilson
The A-Team
TVas Cal Freeman• 1 eps
1982
Penitentiary II
as Half Dead
The New Odd Couple
TVas Moses Brown• 1 eps
1981
A Matter of Life and Death
as Mr. Harrison
Underground Aces
as African General
Crazy Times
as Harold 'Jazzman' Malloy
Taxi
TVas Terry Carver• 1 eps
Little House on the Prairie
TVas William Thomas• 1 eps
1980
White Mama
as Counsellor
The Jazz Singer
as Heckler
The Octagon
as Quinine
The $5.20 an Hour Dream
as Homer Burden
1979
The Main Event
as Killer
Joni
as Earl
Roots: The Next Generations
TVas Muslim at Door
The White Shadow
TVas Johnson• 1 eps
The Incredible Hulk
TVas Lee• 1 eps
Highcliffe Manor
TVas Smythe
1978
1977
Mad Bull
as Black Bart
1976
The Human Tornado
as Bo
Leadbelly
as Archie