Ernie Hudson Talks Famous Mustache & Future of ‘Ghostbusters’ Ahead of ‘The Masked Singer’s’ Themed Ghostbuster Night
Ernie Hudson recently appeared on The Bob & Tom Show, chatting about everything from his work in voice acting to his signature mustache and what’s next for the Ghostbusters franchise. The focus quickly landed on his well-known mustache, a look he hasn’t always sported. For Ghostbusters II in 1989, for example, he shaved it off completely. “In Ghostbusters II, I had no mustache … and people thought it was a different guy,” Hudson recalled. He also revealed a little secret about his current facial hair, admitting that it’s not entirely natural. He explained, “At a certain point, it’s actually kind of peppered, but what happens on the skin is the white hairs kind of blend in, so it looks a little skimpy. If I don’t dye it, it doesn’t look full.”
Columbia/Everett Collection
When it comes to Ghostbusters, Hudson has made it clear that he’s always open to returning. He’s previously expressed enthusiasm for upcoming projects, including animated ones from Sony Pictures Animation and Netflix. In this latest interview, he also addressed something fans have wondered about … why he hasn’t done more voice acting, given his recognizable voice.
“I hear that from fans about the voice, but the industry has never really quite connected,” Hudson shared. “So, I don’t do a lot of it, but I have done some. I think I did Angry Birds. … The fans have always embraced me, but I’m still the guy looking for a steady paycheck.”
Hudson has spoken before about missing out on voicing Winston Zeddemore in The Real Ghostbusters, despite having played the character in the original 1984 film. In a previous conversation with Mental Floss, he recalled his disappointment over losing the role to Arsenio Hall. He said, “I was really disappointed because the thought of someone else doing Winston was not something I felt great about. Arsenio’s a friend, so there’s no disrespect to him. But they had me come in and read, and even though they said I wasn’t auditioning, I dunno, I guess I was just there to have the director get on my nerves. Who knows what happened there? Whatever the case, I didn’t get the part. Unfortunately.”
Jaap Buitendijk/Columbia Pictures/Everett Collection
The conversation eventually circled back to the future of Ghostbusters on the big screen. Hudson acknowledged that while recent films like Ghostbusters: Afterlife and Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire haven’t been massive box-office successes, they’ve done well enough to keep the franchise alive. He concluded, “It makes money over time … and when they’re happy and it makes money, there’ll probably be another one.”
The almost 80-year-old recently starred in The Family Business on BET and will be guest-starring on The Masked Singer this week during the Ghostbusters-themed night. Get a sneak peek below!
Remind 
1980s Top Summer Blockbusters
July 2019
Celebrate the biggest summer movies of the ’80s, when moviegoing morphed from mere entertainment to blockbuster events.
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