Wednesday, April 22, 1998
Ernie Hudson didn’t know who to call … so they called him
TELEVISION: Ex-Ghostbuster’s faith in God, ability to overcome
limitations has led to his success
By Sandy Yang
Daily Bruin Contributor
A young actor, newly immersed in the Hollywood scene, searches
for work. He chances on meeting an agent, only to be instantly
rejected. With the head shot still clasped in his hands, the young
actor finds solace at a friend’s place, leaving that photograph on
the top of her piano.
A typical situation of rejection for a struggling actor?
For Ernie Hudson ("Ghostbusters," "Congo"), the scenario is all
too familiar. But the established actor also enjoyed an ending
parallel to one from a Hollywood film.
The friend’s father is a famed director, sees the young actor’s
head shot and casts him in his next film.
The director was Gordon Parks ("Sounder") who cast Hudson in the
actor’s first film, "Leadbelly," in 1976. In over 20 years Hudson
would have over 30 television and film roles.
The roles include being part of the paranormal busting team in
the pop-culture blockbuster, "Ghostbusters," as well as his recent
turn in the acclaimed HBO series, "Oz," as a prison warden.
Hudson’s current project, "Butter," explores the Mafia-type
leaders of the music scene in Los Angeles. Hudson plays Curtis
"8-ball" Harris, a dangerous and powerful man in the music industry
who makes dreams come true for young, talented musicians, but
manages to shatter their lives as well.
"Butter," an HBO original movie airing Friday, revolves around
Freddy Roland (Shemar Moore), a boy who works for and aspires to be
like 8-ball, but falls victim to his awesome control. Being framed
for his sister’s murder, Freddy is on the run from 8-ball and his
gang until he can turn the tables on them.
Playing a bad guy is not something new to Hudson, but he won’t
play the villain unless he feels the character is complex and has
understandable motivations.
"It’s hard for me to play a bad guy, an all-out bad guy with no
remorse or reason behind it," Hudson says. "Bad guys I play I feel
are usually guys who feel it is necessary to make a choice and they
choose to do this based on what they perceive as their
limitations."
But Hudson himself doesn’t see any limitations to his career. It
would astound anyone how success found the once struggling actor,
but Hudson’s faith that "God has always been there," has propelled
him to reach seemingly impossible goals.
"I find that if you hang in there, if you weather the storm,
something comes through," Hudson says. "But you don’t know how or
where, and that’s the frightening thing. And most people can’t
stand that. In my life, it’s always been there, but it’s hard
sometimes to trust because when you look around; you don’t see
anything."
Hudson owes his faith to his religious upbringing. Having lost
his mother when he was 3 months old and never knowing his father,
the actor and his brother were brought up by their grandmother, who
instilled their faith in God as well as their faith in life.
"My grandmother believed in me, and her way of compensating for
my not having a father who I can say, ‘This is my dad’ (was to
say), ‘God is your father,’" Hudson recalls.
Living in a religious household gave the actor the confidence to
believe in himself and pursue an unpredictable future. Growing up
in Benton Harbor, Mich., Hudson left for Detroit after high school
to "try to do more than what was offered there."
He attended Wayne State University where he found a niche in
writing for theater, earning him a scholarship to the Yale school
of drama as a playwright. Even with a promising writing career,
Hudson did not feel passionate enough to pursue this particular
road, opting instead to do something he found more fun –
acting.
Though many bombarded him with rumors that actors make about $59
a year, Hudson nevertheless ventured down this risky path, made
even more challenging by the fact that he was a minority. Yet
Hudson remained undaunted, having found a calling he could put all
his energy and effort into despite what many said he wouldn’t be
able to do.
"For a lot of my friends who grew up in the same community, they
never got past what they thought were limitations," Hudson says. "I
never felt restricted in the same way. I do see obstacles, and I
still see obstacles, but there’s a part of me that knows there’s a
way around it and that is what life is about."
Likewise, never limiting himself as an actor, Hudson went on to
play numerous non-race specific roles in major films, independent
films and on television.
Though a reporter at one point asked him why he didn’t play
"black" roles, Hudson explains that his first responsibility is to
the character’s personality rather than the character’s race.
"It would be very wrong for me to impose my stuff on those
characters," Hudson says. "If the character isn’t dealing with a
lot of racial issues, why do I bring that in there? Even though I
may feel that I would do things differently and I would behave
differently, it’s not me in the movie."
Hudson’s pragmatic and optimistic attitude also pervades his
views on African Americans in the entertainment industry. He cites
well-known and respected African-American directors such as Spike
Lee and John Singleton, as well as quality films dealing with
African-American lives such as "Eve’s Bayou," "Tuskegee Airmen" and
"Miss Ever’s Boys." Hudson recalls the nonexistence of such
directors and films just 10 to 15 years ago.
"Amazing changes have happened in Hollywood, and I’d rather
focus on that," Hudson says. "I say that things are a lot better
then they were, and I have friends who look at me like I’m crazy
because they say, ‘Look how much needs to be done.’ And I go,
‘Yeah, but if I do that, it sort of shuts me down,’ so I’d rather
think we’re making progress, and indeed we are."
Hudson’s personal challenge is to find a lead role that shows
his acting potential.
"Those roles have not been forthcoming, and that’s been very
frustrating," Hudson says. "On the other hand, I’ve done a variety
of many different characters in a lot of movies, but there’s not
one movie that I can look at and say this is representative of the
work I am capable of doing. A large part of that has to do with
Hollywood, and they have not chosen me and created a vehicle for
me. I don’t think Hollywood really knows what to do with Ernie
Hudson."
However, Hudson is still grateful for the chance at working on
acclaimed projects, some which have reached mass audiences. Even
now, the ex-Ghostbuster still encounters "Who are you gonna call?"
from dedicated fans.
But in Hollywood, everyone’s a critic.
"People will come up to me and say, ‘I saw you in that TV show.
You are so good. We watch you. We love you,’" Hudson says. "After a
few minutes though, they’ll go, ‘You don’t look as well as you did
in the movie.’ You put on a little weight. I saw you in "Hand that
Rocks the Cradle," but you weren’t very good in that, were
you?’
"I think it happens to all of us," Hudson continues. "But
because we’re actors, we get put up so high that when people come
and knock us down, they’ll watch and love to see us flounder. But
you go, ‘You know what, I don’t believe all the bullshit when they
tell me I’m the best thing that’s ever happened, but I also don’t
believe … that I’m the worst thing that’s ever happened.’ So you
have to know who you are."
Never immersing himself entirely into showbiz, Hudson prides
himself on his role as a family man and is quick to say he is most
proud of his wife and four sons. Overall, Hudson feels very blessed
about his life and career.
"When I look back, I think things didn’t happen the way I wanted
them to, but they’ve happened perfectly fine," Hudson says. "Always
in my life, there’s always something that will come up and let me
know that I am in the right place."
TV: "Butter" will air on Friday on HBO.
Lori De Waal & Associates
Ernie Hudson stars in HBO’s "Butter."