Ernie Hudson Claims He Was “Pushed Aside” By Ghostbusters

Ernie Hudson has recalled his time making Ghostbusters, calling out the studio for a lack of support (Picture: Rex)

Ernie Hudson has recalled his experience making Ghostbusters as ‘very, very difficult’, amid claims that the studio ‘selectively pushed him aside’.

The 77-year-old actor starred as Winston, one of the four Ghostbusters crew in the 1984 movie, alongside Bill Murray, Dan Akroyd and Harold Ramis.

The hit comedy has since spawned a franchise, most recently visited in 2021’s Ghostbusters: Afterlife with Carrie Coon, Finn Wolfhard and Paul Rudd taking centre stage.

Akroyd, Murray and Hudson all reprised their roles too, alongside Sigourney Weaver, with remaining original star Ramis having sadly died in 2014.

Looking back on their first outing together, Hudson was full of praise for late director Ivan Reitman and his castmates, who were all already established stars.

It appeared to be a different story from a production point of view, however, according to Hudson.

Hudson was one of the four original Ghostbusters with Dan Akroyd, Bill Murray and Harold Ramis, all of whom he praised, but said he was ‘pushed aside’ (Picture: Columbia/Kobal/Rex/Shutterstock)

As Winston, he thanked younger fans for connecting with his character (Picture: Getty)

‘I was the guy who was brought in, and so finding my place in the middle of that — and they were all welcoming and inclusive. The studio wasn’t, and the studio continued not to be.’

‘So it made it very, very difficult because I was a part of it but then very selectively I was pushed aside,’ he claimed while speaking on SiriusXM’s The Howard Stern Wrap Up Show.

The Miss Congeniality and Grace & Frankie actor also pointed out that he was ‘not on the poster’ for the film.

However, he acknowledged that he was ‘so thankful’ for Ghostbusters fans for ‘seeing it differently’ as he recalled that ‘the fans basically identified with Winston, especially young – I don’t want to say minority kids – but a lot of kids’.

Hudson with Harold Ramis, Sigourney Weaver, Bill Murray and Dan Aykroyd on the 1989 sequel, Ghostbusters II (Picture: Columbia/Kobal/Rex/Shutterstock)

Hudson also said that it ‘wasn’t an easy road’ making Ghostbusters, describing it as ‘probably the most difficult movie I ever did just from the psychological perspective’.

The actor also alleged that the original script saw Winston in the thick of things from the beginning of the film, rather than coming in halfway through and said that changes likes that ‘definitely felt deliberate’.

‘And I’m still not trying to take it personally,’ he added.

Hudson then said ‘the last thing he wanted to do’ was blame it on ‘because I’m Black’.

He continued: ‘I got nothing bad to say about anybody but it was hard. It took me 10 years to finally get past that and just embrace the movie and enjoy the movie.

‘Ghostbusters was really hard to make peace with it.’

Ghostbusters II in 1989 saw the gang reunite again, alongside Annie Potts and Rick Moranis, while 2016’s Ghostbusters: Answer the Call was a female-led reboot with Melissa McCarthy and Saturday Night Live stars Kristen Wiig, Kate McKinnon and Leslie Jones stepping into the iconic boiler suits.

Metro.co.uk has contacted Sony Pictures Entertainment for comment, on behalf of original studio Columbia-Delphi Productions.

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