Though Ernie Hudson has a long, distinguished career and is currently thrilling audiences in NBCβs Quantum Leap, his most famous role remains Ghostbustersβ Winston. The 1984 film is considered a comedy classic and still has a very loyal fan base. However, for Hudson, it wasnβt the life-changing experience everyone thinks it was. While speaking with SiriusXMβs Gary DellβAbate and Rahsaan Rogers on The Howard Stern Wrap Up Show, the actor explained βfrom the psychological perspectiveβ the project was βthe most difficult movieβ heβs ever done.
Suggested Reading
Hudson has nothing but admiration for Ghostbustersβ producer/director Ivan Reitman, saying he βwas really, really a brilliant man and I have just so much love and appreciation for him.β He also praised his co-stars, noting that his issues are with how the studio treated him.
βI was the guy who was brought in, and so finding my place in the middle of thatβand they were all welcoming and inclusive,β he said. βThe studio wasnβt, and the studio continued not to be. So it made it very, very difficult because I was a part of it but then I very selectively was pushed aside.β
As an β80s kid, I can attest that we didnβt always have the best Black representation in comedy movies. We usually had to make due with the funny Black friend whoβs only there to add snarky one-liners and ridiculous slang. Winston was different, he was just as smart as his colleagues, and felt more relatable because he seemed to properly understand the absurdity of their job. Of course, as I got older, I began to notice how Winston was definitely treated as βthe other Ghostbuster.β
βWhen the posters came out, Iβm not on the poster. It took a long time. I went to the 30th-anniversary release of the movieβ¦and all the posters are three guys,β Hudson said. βNow I know the fans see it differently, and Iβm so thankful for the fans because the fans basically identified with Winston, especially young, I donβt want to say minority kids, but a lot of kids.β
Hudson and Rogers went on to discuss how the actor felt like he was not being treated the same as his co-stars. Racism isnβt always overt, thatβs what microaggressions are. The Family Business star also dropped the bombshell that heβs in negotiations for a new film in the franchiseβpresumably the follow up to 2021βs Ghostbusters: Afterlife. This time around he wants to make sure heβs βnot an add-on.β
βThe original script, Winston was in the very beginning of the movie. By the time we got ready to shoot the movie, Winston came in halfway through the movie,β he said. βAll those thingsβ¦It definitely felt deliberate. And Iβm still not trying to take it personally. Anything bad, if youβre African-American in this country, anything bad happens to you, you can always blame it on because Iβm Black. You donβt want to go there. Thatβs the last thing I want to doβ¦I got nothing bad to say about anybody but it was hard. It took me 10 years to get past that and enjoy the movie and just embrace the movie. Ghostbusters was really hard to make peace with it.β
While itβs not surprising to find out that a studio in the β80s was disrespectful to the one Black star of its major franchise, itβs still hard to hear. Hudson is a bonafide legend who inspired a whole generation of young Black kids as Winston. If weβre really committed to the idea that things are different now, then perhaps the next Ghostbusters movie will finally give Hudson and Winston a chance to highlight the characterβs importance and impact on the franchise and fans.
Straight From
Sign up for our free daily newsletter.