Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire’s Ernie Hudson On Winston’s Bigger Role, Quantum Leap, And Rick Moranis

Warning: SPOILERS for Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire

Summary Screen Rant interviewed Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire star Ernie Hudson tied to the film's digital release

Hudson expressed excitement about Winston's expanded role in the sequel.

Cast members and original Ghostbusters director Ivan Reitman reached out to Rick Moranis to reprise his role from the original film, but the actor declined.

Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire, the fourth movie in the franchise’s main continuity, brought together four decades’ worth of movie stars to tell a Ghostbusters story larger in scope than any that had come before. Co-written and produced by Ghostbusters: Afterlife director Jason Reitman and directed by Gil Kenan, the movie continues the story of the Spengler family while incorporating the original Ghostbusters and surprising new additions to series lore. New cast members Kumail Nanjiani and Emily Alyn Lind joined Dan Aykroyd, Mckenna Grace, Paul Rudd, Finn Wolfhard, and more.

One original Ghostbuster in particular had a central role in the new film’s story. As it turns out, Winston Zeddemore—played by Ernie Hudson—spent his post-Ghostbusting years building an empire, which allowed him to fund a lab responsible for creating many of Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire’s inventions and gadgets. It’s a satisfying development for the character of Winston, who was (in)famously left out of much of the marketing material for the 1984 original film.

Related Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire Ending – Why The Old Containment Unit Works Explained By Director Director Gil Kenan breaks down why the old containment unit works in the Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire ending, despite its plot-driven breaking.

Screen Rant interviewed Ernie Hudson about strapping on a proton pack for Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire, in a discussion that ranged from Winston’s new role, the future of the character, and the odds of getting Rick Moranis back into a Ghostbusters uniform.

Ernie Hudson Is Excited About The Evolution of Winston’s Character

Screen Rant: You said a major condition for you in returning to this franchise was that Winston has to be a full part of the story. How do you feel about his role as the funder of the Ghostbusters in this movie?

Ernie Hudson: For me, it's very, very exciting to see that Winston has used his past 40 years effectively. He’s done very well in life, not dependent on the Ghostbusters—but he's been able to help the Ghostbusters. So many kids really loved the character and identified with him because he was a down-to-earth guy, and it was very important for me that they see an evolution, and that they see Winston as not having just stayed in that position. Also, it was very important for me that he maintained his humanity. I see a lot of characters where the guy becomes very, very successful, but somewhere along the line, they lose their humanity. Winston really appreciates these guys who gave him a job when he really needed it, and he's a very loyal guy. He’s an example of what's possible. That was really, really critical. The other part that Frozen Empire did was they showed that Winston has developed this research center to look into what's really going on here. All of that was really, really important.

One of my favorite parts of the whole movie was how Winston allowed us to see how the lore is expanding, and how these new gadgets are coming to be. Was that exciting to you when you read the script?

Ernie Hudson: Yeah. Now we have the resources, and we can look a little bit deeper. I think the whole thing with Danny Aykroyd [and] Ray Stantz is the “retirement, but not retirement” in the sense that we contribute, but we don't be running around shooting up statues and being ridiculous. We have to take a different approach. It gave Winston range, you know? When we did the first movie, I would go to schools and make kids honorary Ghostbusters. One of the questions the kids would always ask was, "Where does Winston go?" They would ask that because when Winston wasn't on screen, we knew nothing about Winston. We saw the other guys—Ray had his bookshop, Spengler had his lab, and Bill had his TV show. But Winston, we didn't know. For Winston, now, to have a lot more levels to play was really very cool.

Hudson Weighed In On His Ghostbusters Future…

Do you have anywhere that you would like to see the next film go, and would you want to keep coming back in the future?

Ernie Hudson: I'd love to keep coming back if, like I said, the character is involved. I wouldn't want to come back and just do a really quick cameo where it’s a couple of shots and we're standing there, we're too old to put the packs on, and we're just holding the packs on the ground or something. As long as there's a purpose and a reason for being there, it'd be great to come back. The new guys—Paul Rudd and Carrie Coon, Mckenna Grace—are great, so they don't necessarily need us. But I think the fans enjoy our journey and where we are, so I’d love to come back and be a part of it as long as it makes sense. Sometimes I think, "Go sit down," you know what I mean? Which is why I worked in life [to stay in shape.] Lately, people have been talking about the shape that I'm in, but it's important to at least be prepared physically so if I need to run a block, I can do that, [and] I can carry the packs without problems.

…And The Possibility Of A Rick Moranis Return

Speaking of quick cameos: what do we, as a society, need to do to get Rick Moranis to show up, just for a minute?

Ernie Hudson: Yeah, because Rick is such an important part of the success of all of this. I think everybody understands that and agrees with that. I don’t know why. I haven’t had a personal conversation. I talked to Ivan Reitman before he transitioned, who I know had spent a lot of time trying to convince Rick. I know that the other guys have talked to him, and I’m not sure why, [but] he just said no. I know they offered him more money than they offered me. And if I thought going to his house would make a difference, I’d be there. Because I’d love to see [him]. And not just in Ghostbusters, but I just think he’s an amazing talent. I would love to see him working, but obviously, it was a personal choice. [Maybe] if they did a country western album or something, but I don’t know. I’d love to see him back if there was any possible way, you know?

Ernie Hudson Also Addressed Quantum Leap’s Cancellation

I was sorry to hear about Quantum Leap. I was wondering if you had a reaction to that, and how you had hoped to continue Magic’s story in that series.

Ernie Hudson: I was really kind of disappointed because I felt like it takes a while for a show to catch on and figure itself out, [and] I thought we were getting there. I love the cast. It was a little frustrating sometimes because [I was] the director who sort of runs the thing, but it wasn't really demanding, workwise. If there was a way of being a little bit more involved in the leaps, it would've been a little bit more satisfying. I love the cast, I love the show, but I would love to have figured out a way to [be more involved]. At this stage in life, when I'm working, I want to bring something. I want to work, you know what I mean? If I’d had a career of starring in everything, maybe I'd be at a point now where I'm saying, "I just want a little part, get paid, go home." But I'm still looking for that role—I'm still looking for that way that I can contribute to a project. I get offered a lot of things [where it’s like], "Well, we just need you for a day," and I'm like, "Yeah, but I don't want to work for a day." I want to work. I want to show up while I'm excited about doing what I do. I am disappointed in Quantum Leap, but had it continued, I'd really want to be utilized a little bit more than what I was. But it was a great cast, and Raymond Lee is an amazing talent. I hope that great things are coming up for him.

About Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire

In Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire, the Spengler family returns to where it all started – the iconic New York City firehouse – to team up with the original Ghostbusters, who’ve developed a top-secret research lab to take busting ghosts to the next level. But when the discovery of an ancient artifact unleashes an army of ghosts that casts a death chill upon the city, Ghostbusters new and old must join forces to protect their home and save the world from a second Ice Age.

Check back for our other Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire interviews:

Mckenna Grace

Emily Alyn Lind

Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire is available now on digital platforms.

Source: Screen Rant Plus