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Ernie Hudson

Ernie Hudson

Known For Acting
Birthday Dec 17, 1945 (79)
Birthplace Benton Harbor, Michigan, USA
Popularity 2 (history)
Updated Jun 17, 2025 (Update)
Entry Date Apr 13, 2024
Links TMDb IMDb
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. Description above from the Wikipedia article Ernie Hudson, licensed under CC-BY-SA, is a full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

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Filmography

Toy Story 5

Toy Story 5

2026

as Combat Carl (voice)

Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire

Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire

2024

as Winston Zeddemore

Prisoner's Daughter

Prisoner's Daughter

2023

as Hank

Champions

Champions

2023

as Coach Phil Peretti

The Retirement Plan

The Retirement Plan

2023

as Joseph

Redemption Day

Redemption Day

2021

as Ed Paxton

Beebo Saves Christmas

Beebo Saves Christmas

2021

as Santa Claus (voice)

Ghostbusters: Afterlife

Ghostbusters: Afterlife

2021

as Winston Zeddemore

Nappily Ever After

Nappily Ever After

2018

as Richard Jones

Spaceman

Spaceman

2016

as Joe

Heaven Sent

Heaven Sent

2016

as Donatello

Infinity Train

Infinity Train

2016

as Atticus (voice)

God's Not Dead 2

God's Not Dead 2

2016

as Judge Stennis

Batman: Bad Blood

Batman: Bad Blood

2016

as Lucius Fox (voice)

Ghostbusters

Ghostbusters

2016

as Uncle Bill

Gallows Road

Gallows Road

2015

as Bob Collins

To Hell and Back

To Hell and Back

2014

as Joe

The Grim Sleeper

The Grim Sleeper

2014

as Detective Gerry Claymar

Touched

Touched

2014

as Dr. Beck

Merry Ex-Mas

Merry Ex-Mas

2014

as Pastor Ed

You're Not You

You're Not You

2014

as John

Doonby

Doonby

2013

as Leroy Jackson

Turning Point

Turning Point

2013

as Joe Johnson

Dear Secret Santa

Dear Secret Santa

2013

as Pastor Avery

Ambush at Dark Canyon

Ambush at Dark Canyon

2012

as Cyrus Parker

Deer Crossing

Deer Crossing

2012

as Captain Bailey

Beverly Hills Chihuahua 3

Beverly Hills Chihuahua 3

2012

as Pedro (voice)

Deep Blue Breath

Deep Blue Breath

2011

as Lord Vater (voice)

Game of Death

Game of Death

2011

as Clarence

Smokin' Aces 2: Assassins' Ball

Smokin' Aces 2: Assassins' Ball

2010

as Anthony Vejar

Machete Joe

Machete Joe

2010

as Sheriff Taylor

Pastor Brown

Pastor Brown

2009

as Deacon Harold Todd

Fatal Secrets

Fatal Secrets

2009

as Detective Carter

Lonely Street

Lonely Street

2009

as Captain Morgan

Dragonball Evolution

Dragonball Evolution

2009

as Master Mutaito

Final Approach

Final Approach

2008

as Agent Lorenzo Dawson

All Hat

All Hat

2007

as Jackson Jones

Nobel Son

Nobel Son

2007

as Sgt. Bill Canega

The Ron Clark Story

The Ron Clark Story

2006

as Principal Turner

Halfway Decent

Halfway Decent

2005

as Tom

Lackawanna Blues

Lackawanna Blues

2005

as Dick Barrymore

Clifford's Really Big Movie

Clifford's Really Big Movie

2004

as P.T. (voice)

Anne B. Real

Anne B. Real

2003

as Principal

Walking Shadow

Walking Shadow

2001

as Hawk

Everything's Jake

Everything's Jake

2000

as Jake

The Watcher

The Watcher

2000

as FBI Special Agent in Charge Mike Ibby

Red Letters

Red Letters

2000

as Detective Glen Teal

Nowhere to Land

Nowhere to Land

2000

as Danny Gorlin

Miss Congeniality

Miss Congeniality

2000

as Harry McDonald

Paper Bullets

Paper Bullets

2000

as Detective Ron Mills

A Stranger in the Kingdom

A Stranger in the Kingdom

1999

as Rev. Walter Andrews

Hijack

Hijack

1999

as Senator Douglas Wilson

Shark Attack

Shark Attack

1999

as Lawrence Rhodes

Interceptors

Interceptors

1999

as Major

Stealth Fighter

Stealth Fighter

1999

as President Westwood

Best of the Best 4: Without Warning

Best of the Best 4: Without Warning

1998

as Detective Gresko

Butter

Butter

1998

as Curtis '8-Ball' Harris

October 22

October 22

1998

as Arthur

Operation Delta Force

Operation Delta Force

1997

as Major Tipton

Levitation

Levitation

1997

as Downbeat

Clover

Clover

1997

as Gaten Hill

Fakin' Da Funk

Fakin' Da Funk

1997

as Joe Lee

Mr. Magoo

Mr. Magoo

1997

as Agent CIA Gus Anders

Tornado!

Tornado!

1996

as Dr. Joe Branson

For Which He Stands

For Which He Stands

1996

as DEA Agent Baxter

The Cherokee Kid

The Cherokee Kid

1996

as Nat Love aka Deadwood Dick

The Substitute

The Substitute

1996

as Claude Rolle

Just Your Luck

Just Your Luck

1996

as Willie

Congo

Congo

1995

as Captain Munro Kelly

The Basketball Diaries

The Basketball Diaries

1995

as Reggie

The Crow

The Crow

1994

as Albrecht

The Cowboy Way

The Cowboy Way

1994

as Officer Sam 'Mad Dog' Shaw

Speechless

Speechless

1994

as Ventura

No Escape

No Escape

1994

as Hawkins

Airheads

Airheads

1994

as Sergeant O'Malley

Sugar Hill

Sugar Hill

1994

as Lolly Jonas

Collision Course

Collision Course

1989

as Shortcut

Leviathan

Leviathan

1989

as Justin Jones

Ghostbusters II

Ghostbusters II

1989

as Winston Zeddemore

Trapper County War

Trapper County War

1989

as Jefferson Carter

The Dirty Dozen: The Fatal Mission

The Dirty Dozen: The Fatal Mission

1988

as Joe Hamilton

The Wrong Guys

The Wrong Guys

1988

as Dawson

Weeds

Weeds

1987

as Bagdad

The Last Precinct

The Last Precinct

1986

as Night Train

Love on the Run

Love on the Run

1985

as Lamar

California Girls

California Girls

1985

as Ernie

Joy of Sex

Joy of Sex

1984

as Mr. Porter

Ghostbusters

Ghostbusters

1984

as Winston Zeddemore

Women of San Quentin

Women of San Quentin

1983

as Charles Wilson

Two of a Kind

Two of a Kind

1983

as Det. Skaggs

Going Berserk

Going Berserk

1983

as Muhammed Jerome Willy

Penitentiary II

Penitentiary II

1982

as Half Dead

Crazy Times

Crazy Times

1981

as Harold 'Jazzman' Malloy

A Matter of Life and Death

A Matter of Life and Death

1981

as Mr. Harrison

Underground Aces

Underground Aces

1981

as African General

White Mama

White Mama

1980

as Counsellor

The $5.20 an Hour Dream

The $5.20 an Hour Dream

1980

as Homer Burden

The Jazz Singer

The Jazz Singer

1980

as Heckler

The Octagon

The Octagon

1980

as Quinine

Joni

Joni

1979

as Earl

The Main Event

The Main Event

1979

as Killer

Last of the Good Guys

Last of the Good Guys

1978

as El Coliph

Mad Bull

Mad Bull

1977

as Black Bart

The Human Tornado

The Human Tornado

1976

as Bo

Leadbelly

Leadbelly

1976

as Archie (as Earnest L. Hudson)

Ghost in the House

Ghost in the House

2023

Writer

No data available

No data available

Organization Category Movie
Television Credits

Transformers: Prime

as Agent William Fowler (voice)

Episodes: 65

First Aired: Nov 26, 2010

Oz

as Leo Glynn

Episodes: 56

First Aired: Jul 12, 1997

Carl Weber's The Family Business

as L.C. Duncan

Episodes: 52

First Aired: Nov 13, 2018

Quantum Leap

as Herbert 'Magic' Williams

Episodes: 31

First Aired: Sep 19, 2022

Desperate Housewives

as Detective Ridley

Episodes: 26

First Aired: Oct 03, 2004

L.A.'s Finest

as Joseph Vaughn

Episodes: 26

First Aired: May 13, 2019

Grace and Frankie

as Jacob

Episodes: 17

First Aired: May 08, 2015

10-8: Officers on Duty

as Senior Deputy John Henry Barnes

Episodes: 15

First Aired: Sep 28, 2003

APB

as Ned Conrad

Episodes: 12

First Aired: Feb 06, 2017

Graves

as Jacob Mann

Episodes: 9

First Aired: Oct 16, 2016

The Last Precinct

as Sergeant Lane

Episodes: 8

First Aired: Apr 11, 1986

Super Friends

as Cyborg (voice)

Episodes: 8

First Aired: Sep 08, 1973

Broken Badges

as Toby Baker

Episodes: 8

First Aired: Nov 24, 1990

Law & Order

as Frank Gibson

Episodes: 7

First Aired: Sep 13, 1990

Infinity Train

as Atticus (voice)

Episodes: 7

First Aired: Aug 05, 2019

Highcliffe Manor

as Smythe

Episodes: 6

First Aired: Apr 12, 1979

Wild Palms

as Tommy Lazlo

Episodes: 5

First Aired: May 16, 1993

Modern Family

as Miles

Episodes: 4

First Aired: Sep 23, 2009

Heroes

as Captain Lubbock

Episodes: 3

First Aired: Sep 25, 2006

Franklin & Bash

as Judge Lawrence Perry

Episodes: 3

First Aired: Jun 01, 2011

Bones

as David Barron

Episodes: 2

First Aired: Sep 13, 2005

Superman: The Animated Series

as Professor Felix (voice)

Episodes: 2

First Aired: Sep 06, 1996

ER

as Colonel James Gallant

Episodes: 2

First Aired: Sep 19, 1994

Meteor

as Gen. Brasser

Episodes: 2

First Aired: Jul 12, 2009

Rizzoli & Isles

as Admiral Frost

Episodes: 2

First Aired: Jul 12, 2010

City on a Hill

as Franklin Ward

Episodes: 2

First Aired: Jun 16, 2019

Twin Peaks

as Colonel Davis

Episodes: 2

First Aired: Apr 08, 1990

Las Vegas

as Bob Casey

Episodes: 2

First Aired: Sep 22, 2003

How I Met Your Mother

as Ernie Hudson

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Sep 19, 2005

Psych

as William Guster

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Jul 07, 2006

The A-Team

as Cal Freeman

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Jan 23, 1983

Cold Case

as Moses Jones

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Sep 28, 2003

Tales from the Crypt

as Zambini

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Jun 10, 1989

Everwood

as Bill Hoover

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Sep 16, 2002

Crossing Jordan

as Colonel Wirth

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Sep 24, 2001

Without a Trace

as Manny Aybar

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Sep 26, 2002

Private Practice

as Captain Frank

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Sep 26, 2007

Full House

as Reggie "The Sandman" Martin

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Sep 22, 1987

Stargate SG-1

as Pernaux

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Jul 27, 1997

MacGyver

as Milton Bozer

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Sep 23, 2016

The White Shadow

as Johnson

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Nov 27, 1978

Batman: The Animated Series

as Security Guard (voice)

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Sep 05, 1992

Beautiful People

as Jack

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Unknown

White Collar

as Mr. Jeffries

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Oct 23, 2009

DC's Legends of Tomorrow

as Santa Claus (voice)

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Jan 21, 2016

Taxi

as Terry Carver

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Sep 12, 1978

Childrens Hospital

as Hubert McGraw

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Dec 08, 2008

Scorpion

as Brooks

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Sep 22, 2014

Home Movie: The Princess Bride

as Prince Humperdinck

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Jun 29, 2020

Blue Bloods

as Darryl Ward

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Sep 24, 2010

Once Upon a Time

as King Poseidon

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Oct 23, 2011

Scandal

as Commander Randolph Boles

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Apr 05, 2012

Lethal Weapon

as Hank Peterson

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Sep 21, 2016

Angie Tribeca

as Pete Tribeca

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Jan 17, 2016

The Crow: Stairway to Heaven

as Albrecht

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Sep 25, 1998

Grey's Anatomy

as Brad McDougall

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Mar 27, 2005

The Movies That Made Us

as Winston Zeddemore (archive footage)

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Nov 29, 2019

Robot Chicken

as Detective Ernie / Judge Hudson Jr. / Justin's Dad (voice)

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Feb 20, 2005

Torchwood

as Stuart Owens

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Oct 22, 2006

The Incredible Hulk

as Lee

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Nov 04, 1977

Ballers

as Mr. Hagerty

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Jun 21, 2015

Arrow

as Roy Stewart

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Oct 10, 2012

Star Wars: The Bad Batch

as Grini Millegi (voice)

Episodes: 1

First Aired: May 04, 2021

Ironside

as Bludso

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Oct 02, 2013

Hart of Dixie

as Ernie Hayes

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Sep 26, 2011

Hot in Cleveland

as Ernie Hudson

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Jun 16, 2010

The Insiders

as Brewster

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Sep 25, 1985

Touched by an Angel

as Norm McCloud

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Sep 21, 1994

Criminal Minds

as Lt. Al Garner

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Sep 22, 2005

Guys with Kids

as The Judge

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Sep 12, 2012

Angry Birds Mystery Island

as Marlon (voice)

Episodes: 1

First Aired: May 21, 2024

The New Odd Couple

as Moses Brown

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Oct 29, 1982

Fantasy Island

as Jamu

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Jan 28, 1978

Oz (TV Series 1997-2003)

as Warden Leo Glynn

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Jul 12, 1997

Key & Peele

as Dad

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Jan 31, 2012

The Super Powers Team: Galactic Guardians

Episodes: 10

First Aired: Sep 11, 1985

St. Elsewhere

Episodes: 6

First Aired: Oct 26, 1982

The Secret Life of the American Teenager

Episodes: 3

First Aired: Jul 01, 2008

The Kelly Clarkson Show

as Self

Episodes: 3

First Aired: Sep 09, 2019

Flamingo Road

Episodes: 2

First Aired: Jan 06, 1981

The Jennifer Hudson Show

as Self

Episodes: 2

First Aired: Sep 12, 2022

The Ben Stiller Show

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Sep 27, 1992

Little House on the Prairie

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Sep 11, 1974

Diff'rent Strokes

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Nov 03, 1978

The View

as Self

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Aug 11, 1997

Comic Book Men

as Self

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Feb 12, 2012

Webster

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Sep 16, 1983

Bosom Buddies

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Nov 27, 1980

Detective School

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Jul 31, 1979

Late Night with Seth Meyers

as Self

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Feb 25, 2014

The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Sep 04, 1989

Celebrity Ghost Stories

as Self

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Oct 03, 2009

Sherri

as Self - Guest

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Sep 12, 2022

The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon

as Self

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Feb 17, 2014

Reunited Apart

as Self

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Apr 27, 2020

The Last Leg

as Self

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Jan 25, 2013

Popularity Metrics

Popularity History


Year Month Avg Max Min
2024 6 20 30 12
2024 7 31 44 16
2024 8 23 85 13
2024 9 17 31 9
2024 10 14 29 8
2024 11 13 25 8
2024 12 14 27 8
2025 1 19 38 10
2025 2 11 25 2
2025 3 5 20 1
2025 4 1 2 1
2025 5 3 6 1
2025 6 2 5 1
2025 7 1 2 1
2025 8 5 13 1

Trending Rank


Year Month Avg Rank Max Rank
2025 1 778 580

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