Rod Holcomb | |
|---|---|
 Holcomb in 2003 | |
| Born | (1943-05-28)May 28, 1943 San Francisco,California, U.S. |
| Died | January 24, 2024(2024-01-24) (aged 80) Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Occupation(s) | Television director and producer |
Rod Holcomb (May 28, 1943 – January 24, 2024) was an American television director and producer, best known for directing thepilot andfinale ofER.
Holcomb directed episodes of numerous television series, includingQuincy, M.E.,The Six Million Dollar Man,Battlestar Galactica,Fantasy Island,The A-Team,The District,Lost,Invasion,Shark,China Beach,Wiseguy,The Equalizer,Scarecrow and Mrs. King,The Devlin Connection,The Greatest American Hero,Hill Street Blues,The West Wing, andNumb3rs.[citation needed]
In 1979, Holcomb directed the television filmCaptain America.[1] In 1994, he directedpilot episode ofER, for which he was nominated for aPrimetime Emmy Award and won aDirectors Guild of America Award.[2] In 1996, he directed the episode "Last Call" and was nominated for another Primetime Emmy.[3] He returned to the show in 2009 to direct itsfinal episode and received a Primetime Emmy for doing so.[2]
In 1997, Holcomb was announced as the director of aShowtime miniseries titledDying for Our Country.[4] It aired the next year under the titleThanks of a Grateful Nation.[5] In 2001, he directed the pilot episode ofThe Education of Max Bickford, and served as executive producer for the overall show.[6]
In 2004, Holcomb served as chair of theDirectors Guild of America's television creative rights committee.[7]
Holcomb died on January 24, 2024, at the age of 80.[8]
On his role as a guest director, Holcomb stated:
I generally go in with a clear understanding that the actors have a responsibility to the series [...] They own those roles. They own those characters. My responsibility is to help them become the best actors they can be within those parameters. You’re trying to continue the prosperity and success of that series as well as being an artist.[9]
In 1997, Holcomb was announced as the director of an adaptation ofArthur C. Clarke's novelA Fall of Moondust.[10] In 1999, he was hired to direct aWWII drama pilot titledSkylark.[11]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | Chains of Gold | Director | German theatrical release | [12] |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1979 | Captain America | Director | Television film | [1] |
| 1993 | Donato and Daughter | Director | Television film | [13] |
| 1994 | ER | Director | Episode: "24 Hours" | [2] |
| 1994 | Royce | Director | Television film | [14] |
| 1995 | Convict Cowboy | Director | Television film | [15] |
| 1996 | ER | Director | Episode: "Last Call" | [3] |
| 1998 | Thanks of a Grateful Nation | Director | Miniseries | [16] |
| 2000 | Hopewell | Director/Executive Producer (Showrunner) | Television film | [17] |
| 2001 | The Education of Max Bickford | Director | Episode: "Pilot" | [6] |
| 2001–2002 | The Education of Max Bickford | Executive producer | [18] | |
| 2003 | The Lyon's Den | Executive producer | [19] | |
| 2003 | The Pentagon Papers | Director | Television film | [20] |
| 2005 | Code Breakers | Director | Television film | [21] |
| 2006–2008 | Shark | Executive producer | [22] | |
| 2007 | Moonlight | Director | Episode: "No Such Thing as Vampires" | [23] |
| 2007–2008 | Moonlight | Executive producer | [24] | |
| 2009 | Lost | Director | Episode: "Jughead" | [25] |
| 2009 | ER | Director | Episode: "And in the End..." | [2] |
| 2010 | The 19th Wife | Director | Television film | [26] |