Emmy-winning director Rod Holcomb dies at 80

Rod Holcomb an Emmywinning ER director who also worked on episodes of Lost China Beach Wolf and The Six Million Dollar Man has died according to Hollywood reporter He was 80Holcomb passed away on January 24 in Los Angeles following a protracted illness the Directors Guild of America said on Friday Holcomb said Dad was an inspiration to me He always stayed humble and never lost his desire to mentor young people who were making their way into the industryOur gentle giant and kind friend passed away peacefully with his wife Jane son Josh and daughter Natasha by his side Holcombs manager Geoffrey Brandt told The Hollywood Reporter He was 80 years youngThe DGA deeply mourns the passing of Rod Holcomb a visionary director whose impact on television direction and the creative rights of television directors cannot be overstated DGA president Lesli Linka Glatter said in a lengthy statementRods influence as a pilot director on shows like China Beach and ER among many others resonated deeply with directors and audiences alike leaving a cultural imprint His pioneering use of Steadicam and other techniques brought a more cinematic style to television helping establish a visual aesthetic that continues todayShe continued Yet his legacy stretches far beyond the lens By dedicating himself to guild service including serving on seven negotiating committees and serving as the cochair of the Television Creative Rights Committee Rod fought to enshrine important protections so television directors could bring their own dynamic visions to life unfettered We will miss his warm steadfast presence and know his caring leadership and directorial mastery will continue inspiring directors for generations Our deepest condolences to his wife Jane and his familyThroughout his decadeslong career Holcomb directed hundreds of television programmes and got four Emmy nominationsthree for ER and one for China Beach He also received two DGA nominations for these shows and one for The Pentagon PapersHe has also directed episodes of Criminal Minds Beyond Borders Ice Agent X Blood amp Oil The Mentalist Chicago Fire The Good Wife Numb3rs The West Wing Justified NCIS Los Angeles Elementary The Equaliser Rizzoli amp Isles CSI Miami and The Quest among many moreHolcomb is survived by his wife Jane son Josh daughter Natasha and five grandkidsThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever