"Ghostbusters" actor Ernie Hudson discussed his "very difficult" experience of working on the classic 1984 sci-fi action-comedy, saying he was "selectively pushed aside" by the studio.
Hudson, who portrayed paranormal hunter Winston Zeddemore in "Ghostbusters" and its 1989 sequel, made the remarks during an appearance on "The Howard Stern Wrap-Up Show."
During the interview, Hudson praised his costars, Bill Murray and Dan Aykroyd, as well as director Ivan Reitman, who died at 75 in 2022. He then said his issue is with Columbia Pictures studio executives.
"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," Hudson said, according to the New York Post. "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 I very selectively was pushed aside."
Hudson also claimed he was left out of the marketing materials for the film.
"When the posters came out, I'm not on the poster. It took a long time," he said. "I went to the 30th anniversary release of the movie and all the posters are three guys."
Hudon added: "Now I know the fans see it differently, and I'm so thankful for the fans because the fans basically identified with Winston, especially young, I don't want to say minority kids, but a lot of kids."
Hudson also recalled how the script was changed several times after he landed his role, reducing his screen time.
"The original script, Winston was in the very beginning of the movie," he said. "By the time we got ready to shoot the movie, Winston came in halfway through the movie. All those things ... it definitely felt deliberate."
Hudson concluded that the movie "wasn't an easy road." He added: "It was probably the most difficult movie I ever did just from the psychological perspective ... and I'm still not trying to take it personally."
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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