Ernie Hudson

Biography

Ernie Hudson is an American actor, born in Benton Harbor, Michigan, who became resident playwright at Concept East in Detroit, founded the Actors' Ensemble Theatre, studied at Wayne State University and left a Yale School of Drama program to appear in Leadbelly. He gained fame as Winston Zeddemore in Ghostbusters (1984) and its sequel Ghostbusters II (1989), though the animated The Real Ghostbusters role went to Arsenio Hall. His film credits include The Hand That Rocks the Cradle (1992), The Crow (1994), Airheads (1994), The Basketball Diaries (1995), Congo (1995) and Miss Congeniality (2000). On television he played Warden Leo Glynn on HBO's Oz, Dr. Fields on The Secret Life of the American Teenager, and Magic Williams on the Quantum Leap reboot from 2022 to 2024. He returned to the franchise in Ghostbusters: Afterlife (2021).

80years old

Turns 81 on December 17in 66 days

Born December 17, 1945Benton Harbor
Star sign: SagittariusThe sign runs November 22 to December 21
Earnest Lee Hudson (birth name)

Movie Career

Films: 62
Career span: 48 years1976 to 2024

Genres

Comedy42%, 26 films
Action40%, 25 films
Drama32%, 20 films
Adventure21%, 13 films
Crime18%, 11 films

First and latest

Photos

Did you know?!

Early training
Hudson left a Master of Fine Arts program at Yale School of Drama after a single year in order to appear in the production Leadbelly.
Behind the camera
Hudson started the Actors' Ensemble Theatre, a place where he and other gifted young black writers put on their own works as directors and performers.
A role that slipped away
Hudson tried out to voice Winston Zeddemore again for The Real Ghostbusters, the cartoon version, but Arsenio Hall got the part instead.

Ernie Hudson movies on Netflix

Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire2024IMDb rating 6.1as Winston Zeddemore
Champions2023IMDb rating 6.8as Coach Phil Peretti
Prisoner's Daughter2023IMDb rating 6.4as Hank
The Retirement Plan2023IMDb rating 5.1as Joseph
In Search of Tomorrow2022IMDb rating 7.7as Self - Interviewee
Ghostbusters: Afterlife2021IMDb rating 7.0as Winston Zeddemore
Redemption Day2021IMDb rating 4.5as Ed Paxton
Cleanin' Up the Town: Remembering Ghostbusters2019IMDb rating 7.4as Himself
Nappily Ever After2018IMDb rating 6.4as Richard Jones
Batman: Bad Blood2016IMDb rating 6.7as Lucius Fox (voice)
God's Not Dead 22016IMDb rating 4.4as Judge Robert Stennis
Heaven Sent2016IMDb rating 7.1as Donatello
Touched2014IMDb rating 6.9as Dr. Beck
You're Not You2014IMDb rating 7.3as John
Battledogs2013IMDb rating 3.6as Max Stevens
Call Me Crazy: A Five Film2013IMDb rating 6.8as Percy
Dear Secret Santa2013IMDb rating 6.1as Pastor Avery
The Adventures of Mickey Matson and the Copperhead Conspiracy2012IMDb rating 4.9as Ivan Stumpwater
Game of Death2011IMDb rating 4.7as Clarence
Smokin' Aces 2: Assassins' Ball2010IMDb rating 5.1as Anthony Vejar
Dragonball: Evolution2009IMDb rating 2.5as Sifu Norris
Final Approach2008IMDb rating 4.9as Agent Lorenzo Dawson
Nobel Son2007IMDb rating 6.1as Bill Canega
Snoop Dogg's Hood of Horror2006IMDb rating 4.1as Roscoe
The Ron Clark Story2006IMDb rating 7.6as Principal Turner
Lackawanna Blues2005IMDb rating 7.8as Dick Barrymore
Marilyn Hotchkiss' Ballroom Dancing & Charm School2005IMDb rating 6.5as Blake Rische
Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous2005IMDb rating 5.2as FBI Asst. Director Harry McDonald
Clifford's Really Big Movie2004IMDb rating 5.4as P.T. (voice)
Miss Congeniality2000IMDb rating 6.4as Harry McDonald
The Watcher2000IMDb rating 5.3as Ibby
Shark Attack1999IMDb rating 3.4as Lawrence Rhodes
Stealth Fighter1999IMDb rating 3.5as President Westwood
Best of the Best 4: Without Warning1998IMDb rating 4.8as Detective Gresko
Hijack1998IMDb rating 4.2as Senator DouglWilson
Mr. Magoo1997IMDb rating 4.1as Agent Gus Anders
Operation Delta Force1997IMDb rating 3.8as Major Tipton
The Cherokee Kid1996IMDb rating 6.0as Nat Love aka Deadwood Dick
The Substitute1996IMDb rating 6.1as Principal Claude Rolle
Tornado!1996IMDb rating 4.7as Dr. Joe Branson
Congo1995IMDb rating 5.4as Captain Munro Kelly
The Basketball Diaries1995IMDb rating 7.3as Reggie
Airheads1994IMDb rating 6.2as Sergeant O'Malley
No Escape1994IMDb rating 6.1as Hawkins
Speechless1994IMDb rating 5.8as Ventura
Sugar Hill1994IMDb rating 5.8as Lolly Jonas
The Cowboy Way1994IMDb rating 6.0as Officer Sam 'Mad Dog' Shaw
The Crow1994IMDb rating 7.5as Sergeant Albrecht
The Hand That Rocks the Cradle1992IMDb rating 6.7as Solomon
Collision Course1989IMDb rating 4.7as Shortcut
Ghostbusters II1989IMDb rating 6.6as Winston Zeddemore
Leviathan1989IMDb rating 5.8as Justin Jones
Trapper County War1989IMDb rating 5.3as Jefferson Carter
The Dirty Dozen: The Fatal Mission1988IMDb rating 5.0as Joe Hamilton
The Wrong Guys1988IMDb rating 5.1as Dawson
Ghostbusters1984IMDb rating 7.8as Winston Zeddemore
Joy of Sex1984IMDb rating 4.0as Mr. Porter
Going Berserk1983IMDb rating 5.2as Muhammed Jerome Willy
Spacehunter: Adventures in the Forbidden Zone1983IMDb rating 5.5as Washington
Two of a Kind1983IMDb rating 4.8as Det. Skaggs
Leadbelly1976IMDb rating 7.2as Archie(Earnest L. Hudson)
The Human Tornado1976IMDb rating 6.1as Bo

Best known for

The films on Netflix they are best known for, with the part played in each.

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The Crow1994 Action, Drama, Fantasyas Sergeant Albrecht
IMDb rating 7.5234K votes
Ghostbusters1984 Comedy, Fantasyas Winston Zeddemore
IMDb rating 7.8491K votes
Ghostbusters II1989as Winston Zeddemore
IMDb rating 6.6242K votes
Miss Congeniality2000as Harry McDonald
IMDb rating 6.4252K votes
The Basketball Diaries1995as Reggie
IMDb rating 7.3135K votes
Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous2005as FBI Asst. Director Harry McDonald
IMDb rating 5.286K votes
Congo1995as Captain Munro Kelly
IMDb rating 5.454K votes
The Hand That Rocks the Cradle1992as Solomon
IMDb rating 6.757K votes

Most often with

Ivan Reitman directed two of these films, George C. Wolfe two and Harold Cronk two. Three actors appear in five of them each. Pick a number on the chart or a name in the list to see the films they share.

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Dan Aykroyd

Annie Potts

Harold Ramis

Bill Murray

Sigourney Weaver

John Goodman

Ivan ReitmanDirector, 2 films

George C. WolfeDirector, 2 films Harold CronkDirector, 2 films

Films together

Dan Aykroyd5 films together, 1984 to 2024
Dan Aykroyd's page
- Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire2024IMDb rating 6.1Hudson as Winston ZeddemoreAykroyd as Ray Stantz
- Ghostbusters: Afterlife2021IMDb rating 7.0Hudson as Winston ZeddemoreAykroyd as Ray Stantz
- Cleanin' Up the Town: Remembering Ghostbusters2019IMDb rating 7.4Hudson as HimselfAykroyd as Himself
- Ghostbusters II1989IMDb rating 6.6Hudson as Winston ZeddemoreAykroyd as Dr. Raymond Stantz
- Ghostbusters1984IMDb rating 7.8Hudson as Winston ZeddemoreAykroyd as Dr. Raymond Stantz
Annie Potts5 films together, 1984 to 2024
Annie Potts's page
- Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire2024IMDb rating 6.1Hudson as Winston ZeddemorePotts as Janine Melnitz
- Ghostbusters: Afterlife2021IMDb rating 7.0Hudson as Winston ZeddemorePotts as Janine Melnitz
- Cleanin' Up the Town: Remembering Ghostbusters2019IMDb rating 7.4Hudson as HimselfPotts as Himself
- Ghostbusters II1989IMDb rating 6.6Hudson as Winston ZeddemorePotts as Janine Melnitz
- Ghostbusters1984IMDb rating 7.8Hudson as Winston ZeddemorePotts as Janine Melnitz
Harold Ramis5 films together, 1983 to 2019
Harold Ramis's page
- Cleanin' Up the Town: Remembering Ghostbusters2019IMDb rating 7.4Hudson as HimselfRamis as Himself
- Airheads1994IMDb rating 6.2Hudson as Sergeant O'MalleyRamis as Chris Moore
- Ghostbusters II1989IMDb rating 6.6Hudson as Winston ZeddemoreRamis as Dr. Egon Spengler
- Ghostbusters1984IMDb rating 7.8Hudson as Winston ZeddemoreRamis as Dr. Egon Spengler
- Spacehunter: Adventures in the Forbidden Zone1983IMDb rating 5.5Hudson as WashingtonRamis as Voice
Bill Murray4 films together, 1984 to 2024
Bill Murray's page
- Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire2024IMDb rating 6.1Hudson as Winston ZeddemoreMurray as Peter Venkman
- Ghostbusters: Afterlife2021IMDb rating 7.0Hudson as Winston ZeddemoreMurray as Peter Venkman
- Ghostbusters II1989IMDb rating 6.6Hudson as Winston ZeddemoreMurray as Dr. Peter Venkman
- Ghostbusters1984IMDb rating 7.8Hudson as Winston ZeddemoreMurray as Dr. Peter Venkman
Sigourney Weaver4 films together, 1984 to 2021
Sigourney Weaver's page
- Ghostbusters: Afterlife2021IMDb rating 7.0Hudson as Winston ZeddemoreWeaver as Dana Barrett Venkman
- Cleanin' Up the Town: Remembering Ghostbusters2019IMDb rating 7.4Hudson as HimselfWeaver as Himself
- Ghostbusters II1989IMDb rating 6.6Hudson as Winston ZeddemoreWeaver as Dana Barrett
- Ghostbusters1984IMDb rating 7.8Hudson as Winston ZeddemoreWeaver as Dana Barrett
John Goodman3 films together, 1988 to 2005
John Goodman's page
- Marilyn Hotchkiss' Ballroom Dancing & Charm School2005IMDb rating 6.5Hudson as Blake RischeGoodman as Steve Mills
- Clifford's Really Big Movie2004IMDb rating 5.4Hudson as P.T.voiceGoodman as George Wolfsbottomvoice
- The Wrong Guys1988IMDb rating 5.1Hudson as DawsonGoodman as Duke Earle
Ivan ReitmanDirector, 2 films, 1984 to 1989
All films by Ivan Reitman
- Ghostbusters II1989IMDb rating 6.6Hudson as Winston Zeddemore
- Ghostbusters1984IMDb rating 7.8Hudson as Winston Zeddemore
George C. WolfeDirector, 2 films, 2005 to 2014
All films by George C. Wolfe
- You're Not You2014IMDb rating 7.3Hudson as John
- Lackawanna Blues2005IMDb rating 7.8Hudson as Dick Barrymore
Harold CronkDirector, 2 films, 2012 to 2016
All films by Harold Cronk
- God's Not Dead 22016IMDb rating 4.4Hudson as Judge Robert Stennis
- The Adventures of Mickey Matson and the Copperhead Conspiracy2012IMDb rating 4.9Hudson as Ivan Stumpwater
Also three films together2 more actors
- William AthertonGhostbusters: Frozen Empire (2024), Cleanin' Up the Town: Remembering Ghostbusters (2019) and Ghostbusters (1984)
- David MarguliesCleanin' Up the Town: Remembering Ghostbusters (2019), Ghostbusters II (1989) and Ghostbusters (1984)
When several people share the same number of films, the ones with the most films on Netflix are in the chart.

Box office

What Ernie Hudson's films earned in cinemas worldwide.

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Combined worldwide box office

$1.9 billion

28 of the 62 films have a worldwide figure.

28Worldwide figure
5US gross only
17Never in cinemas
1Streaming, short cinema run
11Figure not found

Top grosser

Ghostbusters1984Winston Zeddemore$297 million

Highest grossing

The eight biggest films earned 78% of the total. The bars are drawn to scale.

1
Ghostbusters1984as Winston Zeddemore
$297M15.7% of the total
2
Ghostbusters II1989as Winston Zeddemore
$215M11.4% of the total
3
Miss Congeniality2000as Harry McDonald
$212M11.2% of the total
4
Ghostbusters: Afterlife2021as Winston Zeddemore
$204M10.8% of the total
5
Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire2024as Winston Zeddemore
$202M10.7% of the total
6
Congo1995as Captain Munro Kelly
$152M8.0% of the total
7
Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous2005as FBI Asst. Director Harry McDonald
$101M5.3% of the total
8
The Crow1994as Sergeant Albrecht
$94M4.9% of the total