Ernie Hudson Jumped At The Chance To Be A Part Of Quantum Leap's Thought-Provoking World - Exclusive
The original "Quantum Leap," starring Scott Bakula as body-jumping time-traveler Dr. Sam Beckett, aired for five seasons, ending in 1993. Nearly 30 years later, the series returned in 2022, starring Raymond Lee as lost-in-time physicist Ben Song and Ernie Hudson as Herbert "Magic" Williams, head of the Quantum Leap time-travel project and a man Dr. Beckett leaped into in a 1990 episode titled "The Leap Home, Part II."
It's a role Hudson jumped at the chance to be a part of, having been a fan of the original cult series that lays the blueprint for the revival, in which Dr. Song inadvertently follows in Beckett's footsteps by getting stuck in the past while experimenting with time travel. During an exclusive interview with Looper, the veteran actor — whose best known for playing Winston Zeddemore in "Ghostbusters" – explained why he was so excited to be a part of the revived "Quantum Leap," which airs Monday nights on NBC.
Hudson sees Quantum Leap as having wide-ranging appeal
When asked what it's like being part of the revival of such an iconic show like "Quantum Leap," Ernie Hudson admitted he felt a connection to the series because he used to watch it with his sons and have discussions about the real-life possibilities it posed.
"I love the idea of quantum," Hudson said. "Is it possible to time travel? If it was, what would that mean? All those questions that series kind of evoked. [So] when they said they were doing this new [series] ... I was really excited about it and excited to have a show that families could watch and be in whatever political divide and still have a conversation about it. I felt [it] was really thought-provoking and could appeal to a lot of people around the world."
As for his favorite part of stepping into Magic's shoes, Hudson said he enjoys playing a "complicated" character. Introduced in the original series as someone the protagonist, Dr. Sam Beckett, leaped into, Magic is now head of the Quantum Leap program. This not only provides an interesting perspective to the wider world of "Quantum Leap," but it also gives Hudson a lot to explore and play with.
"When I first came aboard, I was concerned about not wanting to be that guy who leads by barking orders at everybody," Hudson said. "You don't see his humanity then. He struggles with things, and I want to see that he struggles with things ... Thankfully, they've assured me that Magic has a history, and as we move forward, we'll find out more about him."
The "Quantum Leap" revival airs Mondays at 10 pm ET/PT on NBC.