Buzz
Ernie Hudson has been a part of the Ghostbusters franchise for four decades, starting with his role as Winston Zeddemore in the 1984 classic and continuing through to the 2024 sequel Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire. Surprisingly, Hudson was unable to participate in The Real Ghostbusters, a beloved animated series that aired from 1986 to 1991.
Hudson made an effort to join the animated series, even auditioning for the role of Winston despite having already played the character in the original film. Unfortunately, he was not selected.
The Real Ghostbusters aimed to sustain the Ghostbusters brand between live-action films, featuring the original characters like Drs. Ray Stantz, Peter Venkman, Egon Spengler, and Winston Zeddemore. While Dan Aykroyd, Bill Murray, and Harold Ramis did not return for the series, Hudson was willing to participate. He even agreed to audition for the show’s director, despite having already proven his capability in the role through his performance in the 1984 film Ghostbusters.
In a 2012 interview with The A.V. Club, Hudson shared the strange experience: “I went in to read the script, and the director said, ‘No, no, no, that’s not how Ernie Hudson did it in the movie…’ I responded, ‘But I am Ernie Hudson!’”
Hudson left the audition thinking it was merely a formality. However, when he didn’t receive any updates, he began to suspect it wasn’t a guaranteed role. Later, he learned he had been replaced by actor and comedian Arsenio Hall.
“When I found out Arsenio [Hall] was doing it, I was disappointed. I was busy with other projects, but the idea of someone else voicing Winston didn’t sit well with me. Arsenio’s a friend, so no disrespect to him, but they had me come in and read, claiming it wasn’t an audition. I guess I was just there for the director to annoy me. Who knows? Either way, I didn’t get the part. It was unfortunate.”
In the 2021 book A Convenient Parallel Dimension: How Ghostbusters Slimed Us Forever, author James Greene Jr. quoted casting director Marsha Goodman, who expressed regret about the situation with Hudson. “It wasn’t about Ernie’s performance,” she said. “I felt awful. He’s a fantastic actor. The producers insisted, ‘Go with Arsenio. He’s funnier, he’s more comedic.’”
This wasn’t the only odd creative choice in The Real Ghostbusters. At one point, ABC executives believed the Ray Stantz character was unnecessary and pushed to remove him from the show. They also worried about the sharp, angular design of Janine Melnitz’s glasses, requesting they be made rounder. Their reasoning? They thought children were frightened by sharp objects.
Hudson reprised his role as Winston in 1989’s Ghostbusters II and various Ghostbusters video games. In 2021, he joined the core surviving cast in Ghostbusters: Afterlife, and his character’s role was further expanded in the 2024 sequel Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire.
In 2022, Netflix announced plans to develop a new Ghostbusters animated series. It remains unclear whether the series will align with the live-action storyline or introduce a fresh ghostbusting team. If Winston Zeddemore is included, Hudson should ideally bypass the audition process this time.
