Ernie Hudson Alleges “Ghostbusters” Producers “Pushing Him Aside” and Underpaying Him

Ernie Hudson, who played Winston Zeddemore in the original Ghostbusters films, recently opened up about his frustration with being “pushed aside” and paid poorly for his role in the blockbuster movies. Hudson discussed his experience in an interview with Yahoo News and during an appearance on The Howard Stern Show.

According to Hudson, the two movies were “the most difficult movie I ever did” and he felt that studio executives never considered his character as an important part of the franchise. He also criticized Columbia Pictures for not paying him fairly, saying that he was “thankful to be a part of it” but “they couldn’t have paid me less money.”

Hudson didn’t speak out about the issue for years because he was afraid to do so, as he explained, “Most of the time, you accept those things and move on, because you’re afraid — you don’t want to do anything or say anything, because you’re happy to be working.”

Despite his frustration, Hudson credits Bill Murray with making sure he was included in Ghostbusters events and reunions. He also appreciated that Jason Reitman, son of the original director, tried to be more inclusive of him in his recent sequel, Ghostbusters: Afterlife.

Hudson revealed that he never received royalties for any merchandise that featured his character and wasn’t even hired to voice Winston in the animated series. He is grateful for his active career as a character actor and noted that he hasn’t had to rely on Ghostbusters.

Ernie Hudson is currently starring in the NBC reboot of Quantum Leap and remains a popular actor. He is the second Black actor this month to speak out about being underpaid in Hollywood, following Djimon Hounsou.