Alan Smithee
Biography
Alan Smithee was an official pseudonym used by film directors in the United States. It was coined in 1968 and used until its formal discontinuation in 2000. The pseudonym was used by members of the Directors Guild of America (DGA) when a director was dissatisfied with the final product and had not been able to exercise creative control over a film. The director was required by guild rules not to discuss the circumstances leading to the move or acknowledge being the actual director. The pseudonym was also used in direction credit disputes.
Career overview
Alan Smithee was an official pseudonym used by film directors in the United States. This pseudonym was created in 1968 and was used until its use was discontinued in 2000. The pseudonym was adopted by members of the Directors Guild of America (DGA) when a director was dissatisfied with the final product and had not been able to exercise creative control over a film.
The use of the Alan Smithee pseudonym was a result of guild rules, which required the director to prove to a guild panel that they had not been able to exercise creative control over the film. The director was also required not to discuss the circumstances leading to the move or acknowledge being the actual director. This pseudonym was used as a way for directors to disown a project without publicly acknowledging their involvement.
The use of the Alan Smithee pseudonym was a formal process within the DGA, and it was used for direction credit disputes in the United States from 1968 to 2000. The pseudonym was used by multiple directors during this time, and it was a way for them to distance themselves from a film that they were not satisfied with.
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Career timeline
Full Filmography
105 titles- Wash It All Away (2026) Storyboard Artist
- Trust (2025) Director
- Fantasmas (2025) as random guy on motorbike
- The Breakup (2025) Writer
- Thicker Than Blood (2025) Director
- Pavor Nocturnus (2024) Director
- A Deer's Deal (2024) as That Thing
- The Wonders of Space | Live From Blue Oak County (2024) as Spit Johnson
- Anatar (2023) Director
- Eternally Twilight: An AI's Guide to the Twilight Saga (2023) Director
- Eternally Twilight: An AI's Guide to the Twilight Saga (2023) Producer
- From Spices With Love (2023) Screenplay
- Amityville Apocalypse (2023) Director
- Khvicha's Porno (2023) Director
- End of the Rope (2020) Director
- ANXIETY (2019) Director
- Enai Noki Paayum Thota (2019) Director
- Sex & Water (2018) Writer
- Sex & Water (2018) Director
- Hot Lead (2017) Director
- Grindsploitation 3: Video Nasty (2017) Director
- Kiss of Death (2016) Director
- Ego Death (2014) Director
- Il était une fois... Le Havre (2014) Director
- Il était une fois... Le Havre (2014) Writer
- Slender (2013) Director
- Slender (2013) Story
- Slender (2013) Writer
- Another Night of the Living Dead (2011) Director
- Another Night of the Living Dead (2011) Writer
- Johnny (2010) Writer
- Tom Toal: On the Scrapheap (2010) Director
- Al final del camino (2009) Idea
- Winesburg, Ohio (2008) Director
- The Elusive David Agnew (2008) Director
- Heroes in Chains Vol. 2: Deadly Interrogation (2007) Director
- Heroes in Chains Vol. 1: Witness the Interrogation (2006) Director
- Fugitives Run (2005) Director
- Team Spirit (2004) Director
- Geki Uma!! Tenkaippin: Densetsu no Okonomiyaki-hen (2004) Screenplay
- Eiken (2003) Series Director
- An Enraged New World (2002) Director
- In the Wrong Hands (2002) Director
- Woman Wanted (1999) Director
- The Coroner (1999) Director
- Soul's Ark (1999) Director
- An Alan Smithee Film: Burn, Hollywood, Burn (1998) Director
- Le zombi de Cap-Rouge (1997) Director
- River Made to Drown In (1997) Director
- Dilemma (1997) Director
- Sub Down (1997) Director
- Hellraiser: Bloodline (1996) Director
- Firehouse (1996) Director
- Exit (1996) Director
- Teacher's Pet (1996) Director
- Raging Angels (1995) Director
- The O.J. Simpson Story (1995) Director
- Smoke N Lightnin (1995) Director
- The Birds II. Land's End (1994) Director
- While Justice Sleeps (1994) Director
- Call Of The Wild (1993) Director
- Maniac Cop 3: Badge of Silence (1992) Director
- Solar Crisis (1992) Director
- The Nutt House (1992) Story
- The Nutt House (1992) Screenplay
- Bay City Story (1992) Director
- The Owl (1991) Director
- Bloodsucking Pharaohs in Pittsburgh (1991) Director
- The Shrimp on the Barbie (1990) Director
- Fatal Charm (1990) Director
- Bodyguard (1990) Director
- Gypsy Angels (1990) Director
- The Horror Show (1989) Writer
- Blades (1988) as Engineer
- Joan Rivers and Friends Salute Heidi Abromowitz (1988) Director
- Riviera (1987) Director
- Karen's Song (1987) Director
- Morgan Stewart's Coming Home (1987) Director
- Ghost Fever (1987) Director
- I Love N.Y. (1987) Director
- I Love N.Y. (1987) Writer
- I Love N.Y. (1987) Producer
- Let's Get Harry (1986) Director
- Dalton: Code of Vengeance II (1986) Director
- Stitches (1985) Director
- Appointment with Fear (1985) Director
- Dalton's Code of Vengeance (1985) Director
- The Cosby Show (1984) Director
- Paper Dolls (1984) Director
- Twilight Zone: The Movie (1983) Second Assistant Director
- Moonlight (1982) Director
- McClain's Law (1981) Director
- City in Fear (1980) Director
- Fun and Games (1980) Director
- The Barking Dog (1978) Director
- Fade In (1973) Director
- Death of a Gunfighter (1969) Director
- This Is Coffee (1961) as Narrator
- This Is Coffee (1961) Director
- This Is Coffee (1961) Writer
- This Is Coffee (1961) Producer
- This Is Coffee (1961) Editor
- Cinema Insomnia Director
- Ancient Evil Director
- Once Upon a New York Dream Director
Frequently Asked Questions
What movies or TV shows is Alan Smithee best known for?
Alan Smithee is widely recognized for notable roles and projects including Wash It All Away (2026), Fantasmas (2025), Eiken (2003), Hannity (1996).
When and where was Alan Smithee born?
Alan Smithee was born on April 8, 1969. They passed away on January 1, 2000.
How many credits does Alan Smithee have?
Alan Smithee has accumulated over 105 film and television credits across a career spanning from 1961 to 2026.
What is Alan Smithee's background in cinema and television?
Alan Smithee was an official pseudonym used by film directors in the United States. It was coined in 1968 and used until its formal discontinuation in 2000. The pseudonym was used by members of the Directors Guild of America (DGA) when a director was dissatisfied with the final product and had not been able to exercise...