# Rod Holcomb

Rod Holcomb (May 28, 1943 – January 24, 2024) was an American television director and producer, best known for directing the pilot and finale of ER.
Holcomb directed episodes of numerous television series, including Quincy, 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, and Numb3rs.

## Life and career

In 1979, Holcomb directed the television film Captain America. In 1994, he directed pilot episode of ER, for which he was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award and won a Directors Guild of America Award. In 1996, he directed the episode "Last Call" and was nominated for another Primetime Emmy. He returned to the show in 2009 to direct its final episode and received a Primetime Emmy for doing so.
In 1997, Holcomb was announced as the director of a Showtime miniseries titled Dying for Our Country. It aired the next year under the title Thanks of a Grateful Nation. In 2001, he directed the pilot episode of The Education of Max Bickford, and served as executive producer for the overall show.
In 2004, Holcomb served as chair of the Directors Guild of America's television creative rights committee.
Holcomb died on January 24, 2024, at the age of 80.

### Directing style

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.

### Unreleased works

In 1997, Holcomb was announced as the director of an adaptation of Arthur C. Clarke's novel A Fall of Moondust. In 1999, he was hired to direct a WWII drama pilot titled Skylark.

## Filmography
### Film

| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
| 1991 | Chains of Gold | Director | German theatrical release | |

### Television

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1979 | Captain America | Director | Television film |
| 1993 | Donato and Daughter | Director | Television film |
| 1994 | ER | Director | Episode: "24 Hours" |
| 1994 | Royce | Director | Television film |
| 1995 | Convict Cowboy | Director | Television film |
| 1996 | ER | Director | Episode: "Last Call" |
| 1998 | Thanks of a Grateful Nation | Director | Miniseries |
| 2000 | Hopewell | Director/Executive Producer (Showrunner) | Television film |
| 2001 | The Education of Max Bickford | Director | Episode: "Pilot" |
| 2001–2002 | The Education of Max Bickford | Executive producer | |
| 2003 | The Lyon's Den | Executive producer | |
| 2003 | The Pentagon Papers | Director | Television film |
| 2005 | Code Breakers | Director | Television film |
| 2006–2008 | Shark | Executive producer | |
| 2007 | Moonlight | Director | Episode: "No Such Thing as Vampires" |
| 2007–2008 | Moonlight | Executive producer | |
| 2009 | Lost | Director | Episode: "Jughead" |
| 2009 | ER | Director | Episode: "And in the End..." |
| 2010 | The 19th Wife | Director | Television film |

## Awards and nominations

| Year | Award | Category | Work | Result |
| 1988 | Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Directing in a Drama Series | China Beach: Pilot | Nominated |
| 1989 | Directors Guild of America Awards | Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Dramatic Specials | China Beach: Pilot | Nominated |
| 1994 | Directors Guild of America Awards | Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Dramatic Specials | ER: 24 Hours | Won |
| 1995 | Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Individual Achievement in Directing for a Drama Series | ER: 24 Hours | Nominated |
| 1997 | Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Directing in a Drama Series | ER: Last Call | Nominated |
| 2004 | Directors Guild of America Awards | Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Movies for Television | The Pentagon Papers | Nominated |
| 2004 | The Caucus for Producers, Writers & Directors Honors Awards | Directing | | Nominated |
| 2009 | Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Directing in a Drama Series | ER: And in the End... | Won |