Why Ernie Hudson Refused A Stunt Double On Boston Blue

Contains spoilers for "Boston Blue" Season 1, Episode 13 — "Beautiful Broken Things"

After spending much of the first half of "Boston Blue" Season 1 on the back burner, Reverend Edwin Peters (Ernie Hudson) finds himself front and center in "Beautiful Broken Things" after being shot outside his church. Once he's out of the hospital, Edwin must diffuse a tense situation when Pastor Curry's (Dohn Norwood) criminal history threatens his hard-won second chance. The Reverend confronts the shooter, Curry's old partner in crime Franklin Beaumont (Demore Barnes), when he arrives at the house of worship looking for revenge. 

The moment allowed Hudson to deliver a punch, which he was happy to provide, admitting he turned down a stunt double for that bit of fisticuffs. "It was funny," he told People magazine. "When they brought a stuntman in to throw the punch and I go, 'Really, guys? I mean, I think I can throw a punch.'" The crew was apparently not sure if the 80-year-old "Ghostbusters" star was up to the challenge. "Something about that number, it's big," Hudson acknowledged. "Sometimes people assume that maybe you can't do something, but I've always tried to stay ready, so to speak."

The brutality of the moment surprised Hudson but also pleased him. "To see the Reverend sort of dig down and get physical, I didn't expect that," he continued. "I was worried in the beginning. I didn't want to be stuck just at the dinner table and to say something old and wise and that was it. So it was nice to get out of the house and be active. I was really excited about it."

Ernie Hudson has kept himself active in his later years, taking on some surprisingly physical roles in two "Ghostbusters" sequel movies and being one of the best things about the "Quantum Leap" reboot series. Hudson's Winston Zeddemore finally got his due in "Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire," but that victory definitely didn't encourage Hudson to rest on his laurels. He manages his steady workload by keeping himself in shape.

"I was always afraid of not being prepared and not being in shape to do it," Hudson told People. "So I've never allowed myself to get too far out of shape or too heavy. And I've never been lost. I've never been too heavy. I've maintained my weight for all these years because I think it is my responsibility as an actor to bring ... This is my instrument, so to speak."

How does he stay mindful of his physical condition? Hudson's key to health has been moderation. "Part of that is I just learned to maintain a little bit throughout the day as opposed to getting the chance to go to the gym," he disclosed. "Most people want to save up and think that they're going to do it all at once or they'll put on a lot of weight and then have to fight to take it off."