Summary

• Ernie Hudson is disappointed that Quantum Leap had to end so soon.
• Hudson loved working alongside the cast and felt that the show provided him with stable and ongoing work.
• The Quantum Leap revival was canceled after two seasons, leaving the entire cast shocked by its sudden ending.

Ernie Hudson has much to say about the surprising cancelation of Quantum Leap. The show premiered in 2022 as a revival of the hit 1989 show, starring Raymond Lee as Dr. Ben Song, a scientist left leaping across time as he desperately tries to find a way to stabilize his leaps. Hudson played Herbert "Magic" Williams, the man in charge of the Quantum Leap project. The show ran for just two seasons before its cancelation.

Since Quantum Leap season 3 was canceled, the cast has slowly been offering their own opinions about the show's ending. In an interview with Screen Rant about Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire's digital release, Hudson expressed his disappointment with the abrupt conclusion. He explained his love for the cast and crew and the comfort of the stable work that the show provided for him. Check out his full quote below:

I was really kind of disappointed because I felt like it takes a while for a show to catch on and figure itself out, [and] I thought we were getting there. I love the cast. It was a little frustrating sometimes because [I was] the director who sort of runs the thing, but it wasn't really demanding, workwise. If there was a way of being a little bit more involved in the leaps, it would've been a little bit more satisfying. I love the cast, I love the show, but I would love to have figured out a way to [be more involved]. At this stage in life, when I'm working, I want to bring something. I want to work, you know what I mean?

If I’d had a career of starring in everything, maybe I'd be at a point now where I'm saying, "I just want a little part, get paid, go home." But I'm still looking for that role—I'm still looking for that way that I can contribute to a project. I get offered a lot of things [where it’s like], "Well, we just need you for a day," and I'm like, "Yeah, but I don't want to work for a day." I want to work. I want to show up while I'm excited about doing what I do. I am disappointed in Quantum Leap, but had it continued, I'd really want to be utilized a little bit more than what I was. But it was a great cast, and Raymond Lee is an amazing talent. I hope that great things are coming up for him.

The Effects Of Quantum Leap's Season 3 Cancellation

Hudson Lost Work With A Great Cast And Director

For Hudson, losing Quantum Leap took away several excellent aspects of his ongoing career. He enjoyed working with Raymond Lee, who led the show and spent much of his time jumping from crisis to crisis on-screen. With the show ending, the two are unlikely to overlap often in the future. Quantum Leap's core cast will have to move on from the show, meaning that they will not have the chance to bond or reconnect nearly as often.

Outside of Hudson's connections with the cast and crew, he will also be forced to leave behind steady work. In Hollywood, it can be difficult to maintain a single job indefinitely, and many actors can be left to participate in temporary roles. Hudson will likely have better opportunities than most of the cast, given his importance in the popular Ghostbusters franchise, but steady TV work can be challenging to find. The loss is especially painful after Hudson's City on a Hill was canceled after three seasons relatively recently.

Both versions of Quantum Leap are available for streaming on Peacock.

The Quantum Leap revival offered Hudson the opportunity to maintain one role for the foreseeable future, and that loss has been a serious disappointment for the esteemed actor. As a 78-year-old man, Hudson wants to truly develop a long-lasting and consistent role that can serve as a standout for him. Though he was a major member of the Ghostbusters cast, Hudson is looking for more, given Winston's small role in the narrative. Tragically, the Quantum Leap cancelation means that Hudson is unlikely to find it from a show that he spent two seasons developing.