---
name: "Rod Holcomb"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/rod-holcomb"
fi1m_id: "rod-holcomb"
imdb_id: "nm0390103"
tmdb_id: 39460
wikidata_id: "Q3394578"
roles: ["Director"]
born: "28 May 1943"
died: "24 January 2024"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 8
average_fi1m_score: 80
average_as: "director"
average_over: 8
updated: "2026-09-23T12:09:08.072867+00:00"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Rod Holcomb

## Identity

Rod Holcomb

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/rod-holcomb
- **Type:** Person
- **Fi1m ID:** rod-holcomb
- **IMDb ID:** nm0390103
- **TMDB ID:** 39460
- **Wikidata ID:** Q3394578
- **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rod_Holcomb, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q3394578, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0390103/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/39460

Director. Born 28 May 1943 in San Francisco. Died 24 January 2024.

## Details

- **Work:** Director
- **Born:** 28 May 1943, San Francisco
- **Died:** 24 January 2024
- **Active:** 1981–2010
- **Also known as:** Alan Smithee
- **Frequently works with:** [Lesli Linka Glatter](https://film.one/person/lesli-linka-glatter.md), [Paris Barclay](https://film.one/person/paris-barclay.md), [Christopher Misiano](https://film.one/person/christopher-misiano.md), [Kevin Hooks](https://film.one/person/kevin-hooks.md), [David Nutter](https://film.one/person/david-nutter.md), [Dean Parisot](https://film.one/person/dean-parisot.md), [Eric Laneuville](https://film.one/person/eric-laneuville.md), [Julie Hébert](https://film.one/person/julie-hebert.md)
- **Primetime Emmy Awards:** 1 Emmy (1 won)
- **Average Fi1m score:** 80, as director, over 8 titles
- **Fi1m score by decade:** 1980s 86 (1), 1990s 87 (2), 2000s 73 (4), 2010s 87 (1)
- **Fi1m against the critics:** 83 to 72 across 6 titles
- **Score spread:** 6 at 80+, 1 at 60–79, 1 under 60
- **Genres:** Drama 8, Crime 4, Mystery 3, Action & Adventure 1
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rod_Holcomb, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q3394578, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0390103/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/39460

## Streaming the US now

- **Disney+:** [*ER*](https://film.one/tv/er.md) (88), [*Justified*](https://film.one/tv/justified.md) (87), [*Lost*](https://film.one/tv/lost.md) (81), [*The Mentalist*](https://film.one/tv/the-mentalist.md) (71)
- **HBO Max:** [*The West Wing*](https://film.one/tv/the-west-wing.md) (86)
- **Paramount+:** [*The Good Wife*](https://film.one/tv/the-good-wife.md) (84)

For United States; add `?region=XX` for another country.

## Biography

Rod Holcomb (1943–2024) was an American television director and producer. He studied film at San Francisco State University and began his career in the mailroom at ABC Studios before directing episodes of series such as *The Six Million Dollar Man*.

Holcomb directed the pilot and series finale of *ER* (1994–2009), winning a Primetime Emmy Award for the latter and a Directors Guild of America Award for the former. He also directed episodes of *The West Wing* (1999), *Lost* (2004), *China Beach*, *The A-Team* (1983), *The Mentalist* (2008), *Justified* (2010), *The Good Wife* (2009), *CSI: Miami* (2002), *NCIS: Los Angeles* (2009), *Elementary* (2012) and *Chicago Fire* (2012), among many others. He directed 21 pilots, 15 of which became series, and served on the Directors Guild of America board and negotiating committees.

Holcomb received four Primetime Emmy nominations in total. He was credited as Alan Smithee on the 1985 film *Stitches*.

*Sources: en.wikipedia.org, hollywoodreporter.com, imdb.com.*

## On Fi1m (8)

- *Justified* (2010), Fi1m 87, Director — [page](https://film.one/tv/justified.md)
- *The Good Wife* (2009), Fi1m 84, Director — [page](https://film.one/tv/the-good-wife.md)
- *The Mentalist* (2008), Fi1m 71, Director — [page](https://film.one/tv/the-mentalist.md)
- *Shark* (2006), Fi1m 55, Director — [page](https://film.one/tv/shark.md)
- *Lost* (2004), Fi1m 81, Director — [page](https://film.one/tv/lost.md)
- *The West Wing* (1999), Fi1m 86, Director — [page](https://film.one/tv/the-west-wing.md)
- *ER* (1994), Fi1m 88, Director — [page](https://film.one/tv/er.md)
- *Hill Street Blues* (1981), Fi1m 86, Director — [page](https://film.one/tv/hill-street-blues.md)

## Complete filmography (70)

Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page.

- *Ice* (2016), series, Director
- *Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders* (2016), series, Director
- *Blood & Oil* (2015), series, Director
- *Chicago Fire* (2012), series, Director
- *Elementary* (2012), series, Director
- *The Defenders* (2010), series, Director
- *The 19th Wife* (2010), Director
- *Rizzoli & Isles* (2010), series, Director
- *Justified* (2010), series, Director — Fi1m 87, [page](https://film.one/tv/justified.md)
- *NCIS: Los Angeles* (2009), series, Director
- *The Good Wife* (2009), series, Director — Fi1m 84, [page](https://film.one/tv/the-good-wife.md)
- *The Mentalist* (2008), series, Director — Fi1m 71, [page](https://film.one/tv/the-mentalist.md)
- *Moonlight* (2007), series, Director, Executive Producer
- *Shark* (2006), series, Director — Fi1m 55, [page](https://film.one/tv/shark.md)
- *Code Breakers* (2005), Director
- *Invasion* (2005), series, Director
- *Numb3rs* (2005), series, Director
- *Lost* (2004), series, Director — Fi1m 81, [page](https://film.one/tv/lost.md)
- *The Lyon's Den* (2003), series, Director, Executive Producer
- *The Pentagon Papers* (2003), Director
- *CSI: Miami* (2002), series, Director
- *The Education of Max Bickford* (2001), series, Director, Executive Producer
- *Songs In Ordinary Time* (2000), Director
- *The District* (2000), series, Director
- *The West Wing* (1999), series, Director — Fi1m 86, [page](https://film.one/tv/the-west-wing.md)
- *Thanks of a Grateful Nation* (1998), Director
- *The Prosecutors* (1996), Director, Executive Producer
- *Convict Cowboy* (1995), Director
- *ER* (1994), series, Director — Fi1m 88, [page](https://film.one/tv/er.md)
- *ER: 24 Hours* (1994), Director
- *Royce* (1994), Director
- *Donato and Daughter* (1993), Director
- *A Message from Holly* (1992), Director
- *Angel Street* (1992), series, Director
- *Chains of Gold* (1991), Director
- *Finding the Way Home* (1991), Producer, Director
- *Silverfox* (1991), Director
- *A Promise to Keep* (1990), Director
- *China Beach* (1988), series, Director
- *China Beach: Pilot* (1988), Director
- *The Long Journey Home* (1987), Director
- *Wiseguy* (1987), series, Director, Producer
- *Wiseguy: Pilot* (1987), Director
- *Stillwatch* (1987), Director
- *Blind Justice* (1986), Director
- *Chase* (1985), Director
- *The Equalizer* (1985), series, Director
- *Stitches* (1985), Director
- *Stark* (1985), Director
- *Two Fathers' Justice* (1985), Director
- *The Cartier Affair* (1984), Director
- *No Man's Land* (1984), Producer, Director
- *The Red-Light Sting* (1984), Director, Writer
- *Scarecrow and Mrs. King* (1983), series, Director
- *The A-Team* (1983), series, Director
- *Moonlight* (1982), Director
- *Bret Maverick* (1981), series, Director
- *The Greatest American Hero* (1981), series, Director
- *Midnight Offerings* (1981), Director
- *Hill Street Blues* (1981), series, Director — Fi1m 86, [page](https://film.one/tv/hill-street-blues.md)
- *Beyond Westworld* (1980), series, Director
- *Stone* (1980), series, Director
- *Captain America II: Death Too Soon* (1979), Second Unit Director
- *Mandrake* (1979), Associate Producer
- *Captain America* (1979), Director
- *The American Girls* (1978), series, Director
- *Battlestar Galactica* (1978), series, Director
- *Fantasy Island* (1978), series, Director
- *Quincy, M.E.* (1976), series, Director
- *The Six Million Dollar Man* (1974), series, Director

## Awards

### Primetime Emmy Awards — 1 won

- 2009: Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series (won), for *ER*

*From Wikidata, which records wins more completely than nominations.*

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/person/rod-holcomb