Ernie Hudson Returns to the Spotlight with Boston Blue After Ghostbusters Success ma01

Before he was Reverend Edwin Peters in Boston Blue, Ernie Hudson portrayed a wide variety of other renowned characters. He starred as complex patriarch LC Duncan in The Family Business, King Poseidon—ruler of the sea—in Once Upon a Time and, of course, Winston Zeddemore in the Ghostbusters film series.

Now, the iconic star is a series regular in the police procedural and spinoff of the beloved CBS drama, Blue Bloods, where he portrays the patriarch of the Silver family. Although he’s known for offering sage advice to his family and listening to what goes on at the dinner table, Hudson’s character is anything but part of the background.

“I knew I didn’t want to be the guy who is just at the dinner table and he has a few wise things to say, but then we don’t know anything else about him,” Hudson shared of his character. “So I’m glad that they took the time to develop the character.

Learn more about Hudson’s acting journey and see where he was before he became a part of Boston Blue.

Ernie Hudson began in theater

Before he was a major star, Hudson preferred the stage as opposed to the screen. The actor began writing and performing following a stint in the U.S. Marine Corps, soon transitioning to pursuing a bachelor’s degree in theater.

“I fell in love with theater when I first discovered it,” he shared. “I’ve always done theater. That’s pretty much all I’ve ever done to make a living. I always managed to make enough to get by and keep a roof over my head.”

Hudson eventually landed in a Masters program at the Yale School of Drama but he eventually left when he booked his first film role—the lead in 1976’s Leadbelly. Following that, he consistently scored both featured and supporting  roles.

He appeared in a variety of TV shows, among them Diff’rent Strokes (1981), Little House on the Prairie (1981), Taxi (1981) and The Dukes of Hazzard (1982), before

Securing his breakout lead in Ghostbusters (1984).

Hudson becomes a Ghostbuster

When Ghostbusters came along in the early 1980s, no one quite anticipated the massive success it would ultimately achieve. Hudson had already been steadily building a career with a mix of film and television roles, but Ghostbusters would prove to be a defining moment for him.

As noted, he played Winston Zeddemore, the group’s grounded “everyman.” Although Winston is very much part of the core team, Hudson joined the production relatively late, which meant he wasn’t always featured as prominently in early promotional material. That said, audiences connected with Winston immediately, and over time fans ensured that both the character and actor received the recognition they deserved.

“It’s the fans who really connected with the character,” Hudson said. “He wasn’t this zany scientist. He was just this guy looking for a job, and that resonated with a lot of people.”

Meet the Silver Family on ‘Boston Blue’: A Guide to the Blended Boston Crew

Hudson would go on to remain a constant presence in the Ghostbusters franchise, reprising Winston Zeddemore in Ghostbusters II (1989), the 2016 reboot, Ghostbusters: Afterlife (2021) and Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire (2024). Over time, what began as a late addition to the original film evolved into one of the series’ most beloved and enduring characters.

Beyond Ghostbusters, his career expanded significantly, with the film opening doors to a wide range of roles throughout the 1990s and beyond. He appeared in thrillers like The Hand That Rocks the Cradle (1992), action fare such as No Escape (1994) and adventure films including Congo (1995). That same year, he showed a different side in The Basketball Diaries (1995), before later bringing his steady presence to mainstream hits like Miss Congeniality (2000).

Joining the ‘Blue Bloods’ universe

  Before taking on a starring role in Boston Blue, Hudson had already spent some time in that world, having appeared in a Season 8 episode of Blue Bloods as Principal Darryl Ward, a character grappling with gang violence within his school.

“I did an episode of Blue Bloods a few years back, and I loved working on the show,” Hudson recalled.