Ernie Hudson

Ernest Lee Hudson (born December 17, 1945), known as Ernie Hudson is an American actor. He garnered fame for his role as Winston Zeddemore in the Ghostbusters franchise and has demonstrated his acting prowess in films like 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). On television, he played prominent roles like Warden Leo Glynn on HBO's Oz (1997–2003), and appeared in TV shows such as St. Elsewhere, The Last Precinct, 10-8: Officers on Duty, Desperate Housewives, The Secret Life of the American Teenager, Law & Order, Transformers: Prime, Franklin & Bash, Grace and Frankie, and L.A.'s Finest. Hudson has had a career that spans from 1973 to the present time.

Hudson was born and raised in Benton Harbor, Michigan. He never knew his father, while his mother passed away when he was just two months old. Hudson served the U.S. Marine Corps right after high school, although this was short-lived due to asthma. Aside from acting, Hudson is a playwright and a producer. He started his writing and acting career at Concept East, the oldest black theater company in the United States. He pursued further studies at Wayne State University, University of Minnesota, and Yale University. Additionally, Hudson is a devoted Christian and believes in the universality of all churches. It's also noteworthy that Hudson has voice acted in an episode of Star Wars: The Bad Batch.