Chapter 1: What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
You're listening to Mick Unplugged, hosted by the one and only Mick Hunt. This is where purpose meets power and stories spark transformation. Mick takes you beyond the motivation and into meaning, helping you discover your because and becoming unstoppable. I'm Rudy Rush, and trust me, you're in the right place. Let's get unplugged.
Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to another exciting episode of Mick Unplugged. And today we're talking to an icon, the man that I actually wanted to be when I grew up. And we're talking about from Ghostbusters to The Crow, from Oz to the family business. He is a Hollywood legend. He is a legend of men. He is a legend of the culture.
And he has spent five decades commanding the screen with grit, grace, and purpose. He's more than an actor. He's a storyteller, a mentor, and a survivor in an industry that rarely makes room for either. Ladies and gentlemen, it is my distinct honor and pleasure to introduce the living icon, Mr. Ernie Hudson. Mr. Hudson, how are you doing today, sir?
I'm very good. Thank you for that introduction. I think that is the absolute warmest, nicest introduction I think I've ever had. So thank you so much.
I'm not I'm not going to take that. I want to, but I know you've had some. I know you've had some. But but Ernie, man, like I was telling you offline, you know, 15, 20 years ago when I was trying to say if I could be like someone because, you know, this is no secret to those that know me. Like my dad in my household wasn't the symbol of manhood that I should look to. Right.
And so I used to find that I used to seek that and I would take pieces of people and say, this is who I'm going to be or this is how I want to model my life. And then I got to know not just Ernie Hudson, the actor, but the man, the father, the husband, the things you were doing in community, the way you were impacting people.
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Chapter 2: What is Ernie Hudson's journey from theater to Hollywood?
And I said, that is it. From a manhood perspective, I want to be Ernie Hudson. So I just wanted to thank you for being that role model that you did not even know that you were, brother.
Yeah, no, that's the amazing thing about life in general. You know, we impact lives. We touch people. We have no idea, but it makes a difference. And, you know, my grandmother who raised me said that Jesus was the light of the world, but we're all lights and we all have a responsibility to, you know, show what is possible because you don't know who's watching.
Well, again, I appreciate you, brother, so much, so much. And Mr. Hudson, I love to start my show by asking my guests about their because, right? Like not your why, but that thing that's deeper than your why. Like I call it your true purpose. Like if I were to ask someone, what's your why? They say like my kids or my family. But then when I say, but why?
They usually say, well, because blah, blah, blah. I care about the because. So if I were to say, Ernie Hudson, today, what's your because?
Well, that's just kind of interesting. I think because the simplest way is because I can, because I'm still able to, because for reasons some of my own, some of just God given, I'm blessed to be able to do what I do at a level that I... You know, I don't say I'm proud of, but I enjoy. But the real, I suppose, because is, you know, having family, having children.
I talked about being an example, but just the possibilities. Because in our community, African-American community, we hear all the stories of what is expected. We want to, you know, be an example of what's possible. You know, I'll turn 80 in less than a week. Yes, sir. On the 17th. And I never, well, I shouldn't say I never expected, but that's a big number even in my mind.
But to be blessed to work and move around the way I am, you know, I see friends. And so if God has given me this ability, I want to honor that and certainly celebrate. you know, do the best that I can do with the gifts that God has given me.
You totally are doing that and then some. So, again, you are living your because. And I see it every day. And, you know, you talk about turning 80 soon. And I know you hear this all the time. Ernie Hudson doesn't look 80, doesn't move 80. Like, I don't want to know what the secret is.
What I want to know is, can I be adopted, get the last name Hudson, so that maybe through osmosis that rubs off on me? Because I've seen the genetics. I've seen Ernie Jr. I've seen, really, man, like, I'm trying to be a Hudson now.
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Chapter 3: How does Ernie Hudson define purposeful living?
And then let's talk about from theater and plays to the big screen, right? And for those that are listening, those that are watching, That's not easy either, right? Like, you may want to do the Hollywood route, but being selected, breaking into Hollywood, especially at the time, it's not easy now.
But you could argue it's a little bit easier now than it was in the late 60s, early 70s when you broke in. Like, talk to us about that transition from theater to Hollywood.
Well, I mean, just the numbers. Now you turn on TV and it's... Not at all unusual to see multiple, a lot of shows having black, even black leads. That was unheard of. I mean, it might be Sidney Poitier, but there will only be one Sidney Poitier until Denzel comes along. And then they have to reject the roles.
They have to reject them for anybody else to get them, you know.
So, yeah, that was and it was very clear. And then Roots came out. I remember Roots came out and we thought it would open up and it went the other way. It shut things down. I mean, it's so it was a deliberate attempt to not include us. But I got into theater in probably the first 10 years from 66 until maybe 73, I think. I was on stage. I did plays.
I think that's where the confidence, where you just, you know, where you love the craft. I tell people as a kind of a joke that, you know, the theater is where I found love and movies and TV is like sex. You know, it's great if you can get it, but, you know, don't think this is love because, you know, they'll move on very quickly.
But in the theater, you know, you rehearse for four weeks and you get to know the people and they're like your family and you support each other. And it was very, very supportive. When I came out to Hollywood was kind of my marriage ended and I really wanted to go to New York. But my ex-wife, who was then working on her Ph.D., did not want to take the kids, which was a shock to me because I did.
I never heard of anybody not... How do you not take the kids? But she was serious, and so me and the kids came to Hollywood. And I came to Hollywood because I have a brother who was there, and I knew that no matter what happened, he would always be sort of a backup. And I got a little one-bedroom apartment, and I heard a number 1 in 10.
So in my mind, if I can get 1 in 10 interviews, I'm going to be okay. So there was a lot of rejection, but I never got the 1 in 10. It was always... I never... You know, it was always and I think it's just a lot of I talk to a lot of men about taking the responsibility. I was a little thrown off when I had to take the responsibility of my kids because I thought it would hold me back.
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Chapter 4: What role does family play in Ernie Hudson's life and career?
And, you know, me and the kids and the rent was due. And I went in and I auditioned and did, you know, and they laughed. But I always had the feeling they were kind of laughing at me, you know. And then I got the job and we were having some friends were over. And Shirley Ralph was at this little gathering. And she was sort of looking through the script. And she said, oh, my God.
And everything stopped. So I know you're not going to do this. Now, I hadn't really wanted to think about this. But then, you know, this character named Bambo, and it's like Sambo, and, you know, all these things that were there. And so we were in the middle of rehearsing, and I just finally had to say, you know, I can't do this.
I just went to the producers and said, I know there are a lot of people out there who would love to job. There's more money than I ever made in my life, but I can't. And thank you very much. So I left. And two days later, they called me and said, you know, we thought about what you said, and we'd like to fix this, and we really want you. And so they changed the name from Bambo to Smite.
And he's a voodoo priest, so he understands that. But how about we make him a Ph.D.? So it's a Ph.D. You don't need the earring or the gold teeth. And so they bet a lot to make—we don't have to say Buona, you know—
And I think it taught me, it was early on that, you know, a lot of things you can just go, no, sometimes they may, they may not agree, but at least, you know, you can make the changes because up until then, you know, I'm from theater and you try to do what's written there. But, That's a different situation. I did a television show with Ted Knight called Too Close for Comfort.
And there was a line where I come in and we're ex-convicts who come to repair this hole in the wall. It's in the story. And as I walk in, I see the hole and I go, holy mahalia. And which makes... I don't know what that means. I'm like, and I got the job. And I said, you know, I can't do this. I mean, I don't even want to, you know. And the cast agreed.
Ted Knight and they all kind of came to my defense and said, yeah, why does he have to say that? It makes no sense. It just looks... But the producer said, no, I want him to say it. When he did the audition, he said it. And it was funny. And I won. And I go, but it's not funny. It doesn't make any sense. He said, well, either you do it or I'll just have to get somebody else.
So then I thought about the car payment and the rent. I said, oh, man, it's due, right? Reality. So I said, oh, man, I don't think anybody ever saw it anyway. But, yeah, but I think you do have to go, you know, is this because you're going to live with it for a long time. Those shows we did in the 70s, they're still playing, you know, on air.
And, you know, and you have to you have to own up to it. But but I try. I've tried to. maintain a certain integrity in the work that I do.
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