Fans Give Ernie Hudson a Proton Pack

[Spengler56]

Wow. That’s amazing. I don’t think I’ve ever heard of any actor showing up to a fan’s house like this. If he comes back you gotta get him in the Ecto. lol

[Ecto-san]

I’m looking forward to getting a picture with Ernie this year at AdventureCon. He was also awesome in Oz, and seems like a genuinely nice guy. I’ve always thought he was the most underrated Ghostbuster. He’s like the bass player in a band; you feel him more than you hear him, but he’s a crucial part of the glue holding it all together.

Great work by the guys at Proptopia. Thank you for letting Ernie know how much he is appreciated by the fans.

[ROBOrob77]

wow…so very cool…just, um, ya, …wow…very cool!

[LordVego]

This is an oddly uplifting story. It’s like giving back to the community, only the community is a hero of ours and it’s like giving him something back that he gave us. Like this is actually really ■■■■■■■ cool.

[Fifthrider]

@loly2kn2

Great work!! He looks like such a nice guy!! nice looking pack! So who contacted who?

Lawrence

We contacted him. How? You see that pic above where Ernie’s wearing a Ghostbusters T-shirt? We gave that to him back in 2004. We met him at GenCon in Anaheim, CA. He mentioned that he could never find a good GB t-shirt and I told him I had some that were fairly accurate copies of the original 1984 design, not those slightly off-center ones I keep finding on eBay. We talked a bit and found out that both he and I worked in law enforcement. Suddenly we weren’t “actor and fan” but two old ex-cops talking shop. We’ve stayed in touch ever since. We sent him some shirts the next week and I think I’ve seen him wearing them in every convention pic ever since.

[kingpin]

Ernie used to be a cop? I can totally see it now you mentioned it.

[Fifthrider]

The last I heard, he’s been with the San Bernardino Sherrif’s office for 14+ years. He might still be with them. I haven’t asked.

[aj-quick]

Hell yeah.

**Ernie Hudson has training to be credible as police officer **

By BRIDGET BYRNE, For The Associated Press

Ernie Hudson pulls a badge from his tan sheriff’s uniform. He’s in costume for ABC’s new police drama “10-8,” but the badge is real.

Hudson, who plays Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Deputy John Henry Barnes on the series, which debuts Sunday at 8 p.m., is a reserve San Bernardino County Sheriff’s deputy.

Some 14 years ago, the actor was brought down by a group of police officers as he entered a hotel garage following a speaking engagement in Pasadena.

“A case of mistaken identity, I guess,” says Hudson, none too convincingly. When one of the officers recognized Hudson from the popular “Ghostbusters” movies, attitudes changed.

“They kind of picked me up, dusted me off, told me how much their kids loved me, and asked if I would sign autographs,” says Hudson, who nonetheless was humiliated and upset.

As an antidote, a friend suggested Hudson take some police training. He did, and has served as a reserve deputy ever since.

“It gave me a real strong sense of what they go through, which I had never had before,” says Hudson. “Coming out of the black community, police weren’t the first people I’d turn to, but it really gave me a good sense of both sides.”

A similar sensibility underscores Hudson’s choice to play Barnes, the tough but fair training officer for rookie Rico Amonte (Danny Nucci), a former New York City street tough trying to turn his life around.

“It’s nice to show officers who are doing what they do – obviously dealing with some potentially very violent situations, but, for the most part, trying to protect and serve,” says Hudson. (“10-8” is the radio code deputies use to indicate they’re “in service and ready to respond.”)

Creator Jorge Zamacona says Hudson was his first choice for Barnes, whom he describes as “a seasoned cop who has seen a lot of bad stuff and will see more in the future,” but has kept his integrity.

“When I wrote the part, it was his voice in my head,” Zamacona says, noting “There is probably no nicer gentleman with a SAG card than Ernie.”

The actor, in turn, is very pleased with his role as Barnes.

“One of the most difficult things for me as a black actor is getting characters that are well rounded,” he says, adding that it’s great to be “one of the guys who is chasing the bad guy down, rather than just the guy in the suit, sitting in an office, always angry and yelling.”

Zamacona says he’d prefer a later time slot, but “I’ll take eight o’clock as opposed to not being on the air.” He says the network has allowed him “to keep an edge” and tackle complex issues.

Hudson, who played warden Leo Glynn on HBO’s violently explicit prison drama “Oz,” says, “I did ‘Oz,’ and loved doing that show, but it was a little hard to show my kids.”

The father of four sons, Hudson says “it’s nice to have family shows … still be an eight o’clock show, but still be incredibly honest and funny about these guys who are the first to show up at the scene of the crime.”

The 57-year-old Hudson, whose film credits also include “The Main Event,” “The Jazz Singer,” “Penitentiary II” and “Going Berserk,” has dropped 25 pounds since filming the pilot.

He got winded during the pilot’s action sequences, “but I couldn’t complain because I didn’t want them thinking I’m too old for the job,” he said with a laugh. So he cut the carbs and can now “run full out.”

On this day of filming, the cast and crew move swiftly among a number of locations in a gang-infested neighborhood just west of downtown.

Barnes and Amonte drive their black-and-white down a street full of potholes. Then, on a nearby boulevard – where the pedestrians are impossible to tell from the hired extras – the patrol car gets a flat tire. Barnes is not amused that Amonte hadn’t checked to make sure there was a spare in the trunk. Now they’ll have to wait for a tow truck.

“We’re on Crenshaw with a flat. What does that make us?” Barnes barks.

“Vulnerable, sir,” the rookie responds.

[gbmatt]

i had read he was a reserve deputy years ago when i did a report on him during black history month…infact i did mine on him 2 years in a row lol…i forgot about it until bryan had reminded me a while back…

[J_Ryan]

It was an awesome day… he is definitely a gentleman.

My favorite was eating pizza and talking about cars. Working in the industry, I meet all sorts of people and I very, VERY rarely get star struck… But, when he asked if he could try the pack on and Bryan handed him the wand… Man… something about seeing that image in person… I had to run to get my camera like the freak fanboy of all fanboys. It was awesome.

God Bless Ernie Hudson. He’s all class.

[troy]

@Fifthrider

Yeah, that was a weird moment. I handed him the gun and was standing in front of him when he took it. He held it and looked at it for a bit like… I don’t know how to describe it. I thought “Aw, he’s just trying to be appreciative, he’s not really all into it like we are.” but then it became obvious. No, he really WAS moved by it all. I remember him saying “I haven’t actually held one of these for about 20 years.” You could tell he was really impressed by holding the cold metal barrel and squeezing that grip.

Bryan, that’s a detail that I hadn’t heard yet - while I’m sure he’s latched onto fans’ props in the past, there’s just something about the guy saying “I haven’t held one of these in 20 years” almost in reference to it being the first time in 20 years that he’s held one that’s his… now THAT is cool.

Talk about classy fans of a classy actor. It’s stuff like this that makes me proud of this l’ll family we’ve got.

[StormRyder]

man, that is freakin awesome, he deserves to be adored, kudos

Wouldn’t it be cool if they had a Ghostbusters live action tv show and they would have just Ernie come back and teach some new recruits and he would be thier mentor, that would be awesome

[J_Ryan]

@StormRyder

man, that is freakin awesome, he deserves to be adored, kudos

Wouldn’t it be cool if they had a Ghostbusters live action tv show and they would have just earnie come back and teach some new recruits and he would be thier mentor, that would be awesome

LOL… don’t think that road hasn’t been traveled.

[Fifthrider]

That’s cool that you should say that. I guess I’m not the only one that wondered that too. The other guys are the ones most remembered but he’s the one most ready to participate.

[nick-a-tron]

ah man this is so cool! great to see him so stoked on being given the pack and those photos sent a shiver down my spine. also great to see Ernie looking so good for his age

a HUGE thumbs up to all involved!!

[venkman71]

@J Ryan

@StormRyder

man, that is freakin awesome, he deserves to be adored, kudos

Wouldn’t it be cool if they had a Ghostbusters live action tv show and they would have just earnie come back and teach some new recruits and he would be thier mentor, that would be awesome

LOL… don’t think that road hasn’t been traveled.

Heh!

[gamera1968]

Wow!!

Ernie seems like a really nice guy, and looks to be in pretty good shape.

Hell, was’nt in that good shape at 22 either!!

Great pack!! Looks freakin’ real in Ernie’s hands!!

[Hollis_DZC]

That is soooo cool! What a fine, fine gesture! Hat’s off to you guys!

What a class act Ernie Hudson is, a true class act.

This gesture is like the one at TDH (The Dented Helmet) where propmakers got together and crafted a Boba Fett ouftit for Jeremy Bulloch- (Fett in ESB & ROTJ)

Both gentlemen are truly nice guys.

Well done, well done. It looks like Ernie truly appreciates the Proton Pack. And what an awesome display case too! Great job on that as well!! Super, super cool!

[donkey8012]

I wonder if Ernie will wear this pack with his suit to cons…

[Mat]

In regard to the initial posts, Right on! :mrgreen:

Late to reply? Yes. :lol: