Ernie Hudson addressed the wild reaction to his Ghostbusters premiere look (Picture: WireImage)
Ernie Hudson has spoken out over the wild reaction to his latest red carpet stint, vowing he never meant to flash his biceps to the world.
The OG Ghostbusters icon has been celebrating the release of the Frozen Empire sequel over the last few weeks, traveling the world to promote the sequel.
His recent efforts in London raised eyebrows as he swapped his trademark smart suits for something a little more casual, opting for a simple black T-shirt and jeans.
Unsurprisingly, the pictures went viral, with many begging for answers on how he has remained in such epic shape at 78.
However, speaking in a new interview, the actor – who stars as Winston Zeddemore in the franchise – explained that his change in clothes was actually due to a mishap behind the scenes.
‘I was actually a little embarrassed with the T-shirt, but my jacket had a smudge on it,’ he insisted to Men’s Health. ‘I wasn’t flexing or anything, I didn’t really think about it. But it’s nice to be noticed.
Fans couldn’t get enough of the laid-back look (Picture: Getty)
‘It’s flattering in a lot of ways. But when the age thing comes up, it’s like, “Oh we’re surprised you’re still alive!” It would be nice if they said I was sexy and then say I’m 78.’
Despite being in the spotlight for decades, Ernie credited his build to his first job of ‘shoveling dirt’
He was warned of a ‘change’ to his body when he reached 50, but only just noticed a slight bit of belly fat as he turned 70, a feature he has now named ‘Mr Jiggles’.
‘Fasting didn’t get rid of Mr Jiggles. He just hung in there, and he talks to you at night. He whispers: “We need to eat something.” And suddenly, I’m feeding Mr Jiggles. So a couple of years ago, I thought: “I need to get to the gym”,’ he continued.
Ernie was part of the OG Ghostbusters cast, alongside Dan Aykroyd, Harold Ramis, Sigourney Weaver and Bill Murray (Picture: Getty)
‘I have this trainer who’s in his twenties, and he pushes me like I’m in my twenties. And on the days I don’t work out, I try to get in at least a half-hour walk at a nice pace, get the heart rate up over 110 BPM. That seems to be most effective for Mr Jiggles!’
Ernie shot to superstardom in 1984 after landing a role in the original Ghostbusters alongside Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Annie Potts and William Atherton.
He went on to reprise his role in the 1989 sequel, Ghostbusters II, as well as smashing a cameo in the 2016 reboot, before appearing in the 2021 revival.
As well as this, he has appeared in Miss Congeniality with Sandra Bullock, the Basketball Diaries, Oz, Desperate Housewives and Grace and Frankie.
He also appeared in the Hand That Rocks The Cradle in 1992 (Picture: Getty)
One fan said he hadn’t aged throughout his time in the spotlight (Picture: Rex)
Ernie’s comments come after he found himself splashed across social media thanks to his red carpet efforts, with his now-iconic jeans and T-shirt outfit.
Flocking to Twitter, Vinnie Harris shared pictures of his red carpet outfit with the caption: ‘Can we all take a minute to appreciate how amazing Ernie Hudson looks? The guy is 78.’
‘Swear the man hasn’t aged,’ Vinnie added in a follow-up comment.
Ernie insisted he was ’embarrassed’ by the red carpet moment (Picture: Getty)
Peter Edwards agreed: ‘He obviously drinks from the fountain of youth…’
‘Wellness companies have got to be trying to get 78 year old Ernie Hudson for Endorsements. Dude is in incredible physical shape,’ Derek St John urged.
As Dr FeelingsxFree added: ‘Paul Rudd always steals the show when it comes to defying age. But SERIOUSLY?! How many freaking unicorns has Ernie Hudson sacrificed?’
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