Ernie Hudson

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

Toy Story 5

Grey's Anatomy

Law & Order

Criminal Minds

Bones

Private Practice

The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon

Late Night with Seth Meyers

All Movies (141)

• Toy Story 52026 · as Combat Carl (voice)
• John Candy: I Like Me2025 · as Self - Actor (archive footage)
• FEEL2025 · as Sitter 10
• Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire2024 · as Winston Zeddemore
• The Retirement Plan2023 · as Joseph
• Prisoner's Daughter2023 · as Hank
• Darrin's Dance Grooves: The Untold Darrin Henson Story2023 · as Self (voiceover)
• Champions2023 · as Coach Phil Peretti
• In Search of Tomorrow2022 · as Self - Interviewee
• Beebo Saves Christmas2021 · as Santa Claus (voice)
• Ghostbusters: Afterlife2021 · as Winston Zeddemore
• Redemption Day2021 · as Ed Paxton
• Cleanin' Up the Town: Remembering Ghostbusters2020 · as Self
• Adventure Force 52019 · as Dr. Lawrence Abel
• Nappily Ever After2018 · as Richard Jones
• High & Outside: A Baseball Noir2018 · as Sanzone
• Heaven Sent2016 · as Donatello
• Infinity Train2016 · as Atticus (voice)
• Spaceman2016 · as Joe
• Ghostbusters2016 · as Uncle Bill
• Ghostheads2016 · as Self
• God's Not Dead 22016 · as Judge Stennis
• Batman: Bad Blood2016 · as Lucius Fox (voice)
• The Man in the Silo2016 · as Marcus Wells
• Gallows Road2015 · as Bob Collins
• Horror Icon: Inside Michael's Mask with Tony Moran2015 · as Self
• Merry Ex-Mas2014 · as Pastor Ed
• You're Not You2014 · as John
• Touched2014 · as Dr. Beck
• To Hell and Back2014 · as Joe
• The Grim Sleeper2014 · as Detective Gerry Claymar
• Showing Up2014 · as Self
• The Last Song2014 · as Guest
• Dear Secret Santa2013 · as Pastor Avery
• Doonby2013 · as Leroy Jackson
• Turning Point2013 · as Joe Johnson
• Call Me Crazy: A Five Film2013 · as Percy
• Battledogs2013 · as Max Stevens
• Ambush at Dark Canyon2012 · as Cyrus Parker
• Deer Crossing2012 · as Captain Bailey
• Beverly Hills Chihuahua 3: Viva la Fiesta!2012 · as Pedro (voice)
• The Adventures of Mickey Matson and the Copperhead Conspiracy2012 · as Ivan Stumpwater
• Underground Entertainment: The Movie2011 · as Ernie
• Deep Blue Breath2011 · as Lord Vater (voice)
• Game of Death2011 · as Clarence
• Beverly Hills Chihuahua 22011 · as Pedro
• Nowhere to Land2010 · as Danny Gorlin
• Stasis2010 · as Stranger
• Machete Joe2010 · as Sheriff Taylor
• Smokin' Aces 2: Assassins' Ball2010 · as Anthony Vejar
• Pastor Brown2009 · as Deacon Harold Todd
• Dragonball Evolution2009 · as Master Mutaito
• Fatal Secrets2009 · as Detective Carter
• Lonely Street2009 · as Captain Morgan
• Final Approach2008 · as Agent Lorenzo Dawson
• All Hat2007 · as Jackson Jones
• Nobel Son2007 · as Bill Canega
• The Ron Clark Story2006 · as Principal Turner
• Snoop Dogg's Hood of Horror2006 · as Roscoe
• Marilyn Hotchkiss' Ballroom Dancing & Charm School2006 · as Blake Rische
• Halfway Decent2005 · as Tom
• Fighting the Odds: The Marilyn Gambrell Story2005 · as Perry Beasley
• Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous2005 · as Harry McDonald
• Lackawanna Blues2005 · as Dick Barrymore
• Confessions of an Action Star2005 · as Self / Commander
• Clifford's Really Big Movie2004 · as P.T. (voice)
• Anne B. Real2003 · as Principal
• A Town Without Christmas2001 · as Ted
• Walking Shadow2001 · as Hawk
• Miss Congeniality2000 · as Harry McDonald
• Paper Bullets2000 · as Detective Ron Mills
• Everything's Jake2000 · as Jake
• The Watcher2000 · as FBI Special Agent in Charge Mike Ibby
• Red Letters2000 · as Detective Glen Teal
• A Stranger in the Kingdom1999 · as Rev. Walter Andrews
• Shark Attack1999 · as Lawrence Rhodes
• Interceptors1999 · as Major
• Hijack1999 · as Senator Douglas Wilson
• Michael Jordan: An American Hero1999
• Stealth Fighter1999 · as President Westwood
• October 221998 · as Arthur
• Butter1998 · as Curtis '8-Ball' Harris
• Best of the Best 4: Without Warning1998 · as Detective Gresko
• Mr. Magoo1997 · as Agent CIA Gus Anders
• Clover1997 · as Gaten Hill
• Fakin' Da Funk1997 · as Joe Lee
• Levitation1997 · as Downbeat
• Operation Delta Force1997 · as Major Tipton
• The Cherokee Kid1996 · as Nat Love aka Deadwood Dick
• Just Your Luck1996 · as Willie
• For Which He Stands1996 · as DEA Agent Baxter
• Tornado!1996 · as Dr. Joe Branson
• The Substitute1996 · as Claude Rolle
• Congo1995 · as Captain Monroe Kelly
• The Basketball Diaries1995 · as Reggie
• Speechless1994 · as Ventura
• Airheads1994 · as Sergeant O'Malley
• The Cowboy Way1994 · as Officer Sam 'Mad Dog' Shaw
• The Crow1994 · as Albrecht
• No Escape1994 · as Hawkins
• Sugar Hill1994 · as Lolly Jonas
• The Hand That Rocks the Cradle1992 · as Solomon
• Ghostbusters II1989 · as Winston Zeddemore
• Collision Course1989 · as Shortcut
• Leviathan1989 · as Justin Jones
• Trapper County War1989 · as Jefferson Carter
• The Dirty Dozen: The Fatal Mission1988 · as Joe Hamilton
• The Wrong Guys1988 · as Dawson
• Weeds1987 · as Bagdad
• The Last Precinct1986 · as Night Train
• Love on the Run1985 · as Lamar
• California Girls1985 · as Ernie
• On the Scene with the Ghostbusters1984
• Joy of Sex1984 · as Mr. Porter
• Ghostbusters1984 · as Winston Zeddemore
• Two of a Kind1983 · as Det. Skaggs
• Women of San Quentin1983 · as Charles Wilson
• Going Berserk1983 · as Muhammed Jerome Willy
• Spacehunter: Adventures in the Forbidden Zone1983 · as Washington
• Penitentiary II1982 · as Half Dead
• Crazy Times1981 · as Harold 'Jazzman' Malloy
• A Matter of Life and Death1981 · as Mr. Harrison
• Underground Aces1981 · as African General
• The Jazz Singer1980 · as Heckler
• The Octagon1980 · as Quinine
• White Mama1980 · as Counsellor
• The $5.20 an Hour Dream1980 · as Homer Burden
• Skag1980
• The Main Event1979 · as Killer
• Joni1979 · as Earl
• Last of the Good Guys1978 · as El Coliph
• Mad Bull1977 · as Black Bart
• Man from Atlantis IV: The Disappearances1977 · as Minion
• The Human Tornado1976 · as Bo
• Leadbelly1976 · as Archie
• Oswald: Down The Rabbit Hole— · as Oswald Jebediah Coleman
• Mr. Beebee— · as Wayne Proctor
• Deepest, Darkest—
• Famous—
• Sisters in Italy—
• Hal—

All TV Shows (101)

• Boston Blue2025 · as Rev. Edwin Peters
• Angry Birds Mystery Island2024 · as Marlon (voice)
• Quantum Leap2022 · as Herbert 'Magic' Williams
• Sherri2022 · as Self - Guest
• The Jennifer Hudson Show2022 · as Self
• Star Wars: The Bad Batch2021 · as Grini Millegi (voice)
• Home Movie: The Princess Bride2020 · as Prince Humperdinck
• Reunited Apart2020 · as Self
• The Movies That Made Us2019 · as Winston Zeddemore (archive footage)
• The Kelly Clarkson Show2019 · as Self
• Infinity Train2019 · as Atticus (voice)
• City on a Hill2019 · as Franklin Ward
• L.A.'s Finest2019 · as Joseph Vaughn
• The Masked Singer2019 · as Self - Special Guest
• Carl Weber's The Family Business2018 · as L.C. Duncan
• Steve2017 · as Self
• APB2017 · as Ned Conrad
• Graves2016 · as Jacob Mann
• MacGyver2016 · as Milton Bozer
• Lethal Weapon2016 · as Hank Peterson
• Angie Tribeca2016 · as Pete Tribeca
• Ballers2015 · as Mr. Hagerty
• Grace and Frankie2015 · as Jacob
• Scorpion2014 · as Brooks
• Late Night with Seth Meyers2014 · as Self - Guest
• The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon2014 · as Self
• The Millers2013 · as Walter
• Ironside2013 · as Bludso
• The Last Leg2013 · as Self
• Arrow2012 · as Roy Stewart
• Guys with Kids2012 · as The Judge
• Scandal2012 · as Commander Randolph Boles
• Comic Book Men2012 · as Self
• Key & Peele2012 · as Dad
• Once Upon a Time2011 · as King Poseidon
• Hart of Dixie2011 · as Ernie Hayes
• Franklin & Bash2011 · as Judge Lawrence Perry
• Transformers: Prime2010 · as Agent William Fowler (voice)
• Blue Bloods2010 · as Darryl Ward
• Rizzoli & Isles2010 · as Admiral Frost
• Hot in Cleveland2010 · as Ernie Hudson
• White Collar2009 · as Mr. Jeffries
• Celebrity Ghost Stories2009 · as Self
• Modern Family2009 · as Miles
• Meteor2009 · as Gen. Brasser
• Childrens Hospital2008 · as Hubert McGraw
• The Secret Life of the American Teenager2008 · as Dr. Ken Fields
• Private Practice2007 · as Captain Frank
• Torchwood2006 · as Stuart Owens
• Heroes2006 · as Captain Lubbock
• Psych2006 · as William Guster
• Criminal Minds2005 · as Lt. Al Garner
• How I Met Your Mother2005 · as Ernie Hudson
• Bones2005 · as David Barron
• Grey's Anatomy2005 · as Brad McDougall
• Robot Chicken2005 · as Detective Ernie / Judge Hudson Jr. / Justin's Dad (voice)
• Desperate Housewives2004 · as Detective Ridley
• Cold Case2003 · as Moses Jones
• 10-8: Officers on Duty2003 · as Senior Deputy John Henry Barnes
• Las Vegas2003 · as Bob Casey
• Without a Trace2002 · as Manny Aybar
• Everwood2002 · as Bill Hoover
• Crossing Jordan2001 · as Colonel Wirth
• The View1997 · as Self
• Stargate SG-11997 · as Pernaux
• Oz1997 · as Leo Glynn
• Superman: The Animated Series1996 · as Professor Felix (voice)
• Arli$$1996 · as Warden Leo Glynn
• Touched by an Angel1994 · as Norm McCloud
• ER1994 · as James Gallant
• Wild Palms1993 · as Tommy Lazlo
• The Ben Stiller Show1992
• Angel Street1992 · as Thurman Nickens
• Batman: The Animated Series1992 · as Security Guard (voice)
• Broken Badges1990 · as Toby Baker
• Cop Rock1990 · as Cmdr. Warren Osborne
• Law & Order1990 · as Frank Gibson
• Twin Peaks1990 · as Colonel Davis
• The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!1989 · as Ernie Hudson
• Tales from the Crypt1989 · as Zambini
• Full House1987 · as Reggie "The Sandman" Martin
• The Last Precinct1986 · as Sergeant Lane
• The Insiders1985 · as Brewster
• The Super Powers Team: Galactic Guardians1985 · as Cyborg (voice)
• Webster1983
• The A-Team1983 · as Cal Freeman
• The New Odd Couple1982 · as Moses Brown
• St. Elsewhere1982 · as Jerry Close
• Flamingo Road1981
• Bosom Buddies1980
• Detective School1979
• Highcliffe Manor1979 · as Smythe
• Roots: The Next Generations1979 · as Muslim at Door
• The White Shadow1978 · as Johnson
• Diff'rent Strokes1978
• Taxi1978 · as Terry Carver
• Fantasy Island1978 · as Jamu
• The Incredible Hulk1977 · as Lee
• Little House on the Prairie1974 · as William Thomas
• Super Friends1973 · as Cyborg (voice)
• Beautiful People— · as Jack