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Rick Wallace
Rick Wallace
Rick Wallace
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Rick Wallace (born February 12, 1948) is an American film director and television producer. He has worked on Smallville, L.A. Law, Doogie Howser, M.D. and The Closer, as well as many other programs.

Key Information

Partial filmography

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Director

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Producer

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References

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Rick Wallace

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Rick Wallace is an American television producer and director known for his Emmy Award-winning work on the NBC legal drama L.A. Law and his long-term contributions to acclaimed prime-time series including Hill Street Blues, The Closer, and Major Crimes. Born on February 12, 1948, in Chicago, Illinois, he has built a career spanning more than four decades in film and television, earning recognition for his expertise in drama, particularly in legal and crime genres. Wallace began his professional journey as an assistant director on feature films, most notably contributing to John Carpenter's horror classic Halloween (1978), before shifting focus to television in the early 1980s. He served as a first assistant director and later director on the groundbreaking police drama Hill Street Blues, directing multiple episodes and gaining experience that propelled him into prominent producing roles. His tenure as a producer on L.A. Law from 1988 to 1993 marked a high point, where he oversaw 113 episodes and secured multiple Primetime Emmy Awards for outstanding drama series production. In subsequent decades, Wallace continued to shape network and cable television through executive producing and directing positions on series such as The Pretender, Commander in Chief, The Closer (where he directed 14 episodes and executive produced 56), and Major Crimes (with 10 directing credits and executive production on 87 episodes). His consistent involvement in high-profile procedural and character-driven dramas has established him as a respected figure in television production, with a legacy of collaborating on critically regarded programs that have influenced the medium's storytelling and production standards.

Early life and education

Career

Assistant director

Rick Wallace began his professional career in the film industry during the late 1970s, working primarily as an assistant director on feature films and often credited as Richard C. Wallace in his early roles. His first known credit in this capacity was as assistant director on the horror film Halloween in 1978. The following year, he served as assistant director on Angels' Brigade and as second assistant director on Roller Boogie, both credited under his full name Richard C. Wallace. In 1980, Wallace took on the role of first assistant director on The Unseen and assistant director on Below the Belt, again credited as Richard C. Wallace. He concluded his feature film work in this position as first assistant director on Liar's Moon in 1981. Wallace transitioned to television in the early 1980s, serving as second assistant director on two episodes of Lou Grant in 1981, credited as Richard C. Wallace. He then worked as first assistant director on 18 episodes of Hill Street Blues from 1981 to 1983. These assistant director positions marked his initial entry into the industry following his education and provided foundational experience before he advanced to producing and directing roles on Hill Street Blues.

Television producer

Rick Wallace has been a prolific television producer since the 1980s, contributing to numerous drama series in executive and co-executive capacities that reflect a steady progression from supporting roles to leadership positions on high-profile network and cable programs. His producing career demonstrates consistent involvement in character-driven procedural and legal dramas across several decades. Early in his producing work, Wallace served as producer on one episode of Bay City Blues in 1983, co-producer on Buck James during its 1987–1988 season, and produced by on one episode of Doogie Howser, M.D. in 1989. He advanced to more prominent responsibilities on L.A. Law, where he was co-executive producer and executive producer from 1988 to 1993, contributing to 113 episodes of the influential NBC legal series. Throughout the 1990s and 2000s, Wallace executive produced Philly from 2001 to 2002 (22 episodes) and held co-executive producer positions on Commander in Chief (2005–2006, 10 episodes), Men in Trees (2006–2007, 21 episodes), and Women's Murder Club (2007–2008, 11 episodes). Additional credits during this period include executive producer on one episode of The Pretender in 1996, producing roles on City of Angels (2000) and Peacemakers (2003). Wallace maintained a significant presence on TNT's crime dramas, serving as executive producer on The Closer from 2009 to 2012 (56 episodes) and continuing in that role for its spin-off Major Crimes from 2012 to 2017 (87 episodes). His later work includes producer credit on Double Down South in 2022.

Television director

Rick Wallace has enjoyed a long and prolific career as a television director, with credits spanning several decades and numerous series. He began directing episodic television on the police drama Hill Street Blues, helming 10 episodes between 1983 and 1985. He followed this with 11 episodes of the legal series L.A. Law from 1986 to 1993. In the 2000s and 2010s, Wallace directed extensively across various network and cable programs. He directed 14 episodes of the TNT crime drama The Closer from 2005 to 2011 and 10 episodes of its spin-off Major Crimes from 2012 to 2017. Other notable directing work includes 6 episodes of Men in Trees from 2006 to 2007, 3 episodes of Law & Order: Criminal Intent in 2005, 2 episodes of Women's Murder Club in 2007, and 2 episodes of Murder in the First from 2014 to 2016. He also directed episodes of Smallville, Law & Order (2005), Commander in Chief (2006), Sleeper Cell (2005), Surface (2005), The Client List (2013), Raising the Bar (2008), Easy Money (2008), Mercy (2010), and State of Mind (2007). Wallace frequently directed episodes on series where he also held producing roles, including The Closer and Major Crimes.

Awards and nominations

Rick Wallace has received the following awards and nominations for his work in television.

Directors Guild of America, USA

  • 1983: Won — Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Dramatic Series — Hill Street Blues (episode: "Night")

Primetime Emmy Awards

  • 1990: Won — Outstanding Drama Series — L.A. Law (shared)
  • 1990: Nominated — Outstanding Directing in a Drama Series — L.A. Law
  • 1991: Won — Outstanding Drama Series — L.A. Law (shared)
  • 1992: Nominated — Outstanding Drama Series — L.A. Law (shared)
  • 1992: Nominated — Outstanding Individual Achievement in Directing in a Drama Series — L.A. Law
These are the awards and nominations listed on his IMDb profile. No additional major awards or nominations for other series such as The Closer or Major Crimes are documented in primary sources checked.

Personal life

Rick Wallace has been married to actress Lillian D'Arc since January 4, 1994. They have three children.
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