12 Quick Questions for 'Ghostbusters' Star Ernie Hudson

In his over five decades in show business, Michigan native Ernie Hudson, 75, has had a chance to tackle many roles and work with a who’s who of actors, but there are still a few he’d like to “play” with. We got to the bottom of that in our recent chat.

Ghostbusters: Afterlife — what took so long?

There was always talk about a possible third film, but it all seemed like it would never come together. I think the fans would have appreciated something maybe 20 years earlier, before we all got old. But the fact that we’re having a conversation about the movie almost 40 years after the fact — that’s impressive.

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Rate the three Ghostbusters with your cast.

The first one [1984] is the most genuinely creative, so unexpected. The second one [1989] in some ways was trying to repeat the magic of the first. Before I saw the new one, I was concerned that maybe it wouldn’t live up … It really, really is what the fans have been waiting for.  

Let’s talk about ghosts. Real or not?

I’ve had some experiences. I have never had a ghost walk up to me and say, ‘Hey there, Ernie, what’s going on?’ and have a conversation with me. But there were some things that I kind of go, ‘That was weird,’ or ‘What was that about?’ Yeah, I believe it’s possible.

COVID has accelerated the trend of new movie releases at home. Not Ghostbusters: Afterlife. Do you go for big screen or small screen?

I just think the theaters are a very, very different experience.

    Favorite fictional ghost?

As a kid I always liked Casper because he was a friendly ghost. Casper wouldn’t come and try to take your head off. That whole thing was really always unsettling to me.  

Scary movies: Thumbs up or thumbs down?

I hate scary movies. As I get older, not just horror movies/slasher movies; now it’s when people behave badly, really nasty… I’m not comfortable looking at that stuff. Maybe I just want to live in a space filled with nice things and nice people.  

Ernie Hudson in action as Winston Zeddemore in 'Ghostbusters II'.

Columbia/Courtesy Everett Collection

Who are your acting inspirations?

When I was a kid, the Westerns were really popular. Gary Cooper was always my favorite actor; Burt Lancaster. I think the idea of being a man and what that meant, those lessons I learned from the movies. [Hudson was raised by his maternal grandmother and had some “good uncles.”]