Ernest Lee "Ernie" Hudson Sr. (born December 17, 1945) is an American actor. He is known for his roles as Winston Zeddemore in the Ghostbusters film series, Sergeant Albrecht in The Crow (1994), and Warden Leo Glynn on HBO's Oz.

Early life

Hudson was born in Benton Harbor, Michigan. He never knew his father. His mother, Maggie Donald, died of tuberculosis when he was two months old. He was subsequently raised by his maternal grandmother, Arrana Donald.

Hudson joined the United States Marine Corps straight from High School, dismissed after only three months due to asthma, before he moved to Detroit, Michigan. He became the resident playwright at Concept East, the oldest black theatre company in the U.S. He enrolled at Wayne State University to further develop his writing and acting skills. He established the Actors' Ensemble Theatre where he and other talented young black writers directed and appeared in their own works. Later, he enrolled and subsequently graduated from Yale School of Drama.