Guarding Tess_
"A comedy beyond the call of duty."
Doug is a Secret Service Agent who has just completed his stint in charge protecting Tess Carlisle—the widow of a former U.S. President, and a close personal friend of the current President. He finds that she has requested that he not be rotated but instead return to be her permanent detail. Doug is crushed, and—after returning—wants off her detail as she is very difficult to guard and makes her detail crazy with her whims and demands.
Starring
Shirley MacLaine, Nicolas Cage, Austin Pendleton
Box Office
$27.1M
Updated Feb 16, 2026
WHERE TO WATCH
DROPTHE_ GOSSIP
Box office
Guarding Tess earned $27.1M worldwide on a $20.0M budget — a 35% return on investment.
Year context
Guarding Tess was released 32 years ago in 1994.
Guarding Tess is a Comedy, Drama film with a runtime of 1h 36m.
CAST (20)
Shirley MacLaine
Tess Carlisle
Nicolas Cage
Doug Chesnic
Austin Pendleton
Earl
Edward Albert
Barry Carlisle
James Rebhorn
Howard Shaeffer
Richard Griffiths
Frederick
John Roselius
Tom Bahlor
David Graf
Lee Danielson
Don Yesso
Ralph Buoncristiani
JL
James Lally
Joe Spector
Brant von Hoffman
Bob Hutcherson
Harry Lennix
Kenny Young
Susan Blommaert
Kimberly Cannon
Dale Dye
Charles Ivy
James Handy
Neal Carlo
SS
Stephen S. Chen
Jimmy
KO
Katie O'Hara
Barbara
MC
Mark Conway
Caleb Harrison
David L. King
Derrick Hastings
JB
Jane Beard
Kidnapper
CREW
Writer
BOX OFFICE
$20.0M
Budget
$27.1M
Revenue
+35%
ROI
BREAK EVEN
Verdict
STUDIOS (1)
AWARDS (1)
B
WON
DETAILS
Release
Status
Released
Runtime
96 min (1h 36m)
Language
English
Country
Rating
6.0/10 (344 votes)
Popularity
4
Budget
$20,000,000
Box Office
$27,058,304
Profit
+$7,058,304
IMDB
Trailer
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What is Guarding Tess about?
Doug is a Secret Service Agent who has just completed his stint in charge protecting Tess Carlisle—the widow of a former U.S. President, and a close personal friend of the current President. He finds that she has requested that he not be rotated but instead return to be her permanent detail. Doug is crushed, and—after returning—wants off her detail as she is very difficult to guard and makes her detail crazy with her whims and demands.
How long is Guarding Tess?
Guarding Tess has a runtime of 96 minutes (1h 36m).
Who stars in Guarding Tess?
The cast of Guarding Tess includes Shirley MacLaine, Nicolas Cage, Austin Pendleton, Edward Albert, James Rebhorn.
How much did Guarding Tess make at the box office?
Guarding Tess earned $27,058,304 worldwide at the box office. The production budget was $20,000,000.
What is the rating of Guarding Tess?
Guarding Tess has a rating of 6.0 out of 10 based on 344 votes on TMDB.
GENRES (2)
Comedy
Drama
KEYWORDS (4)
bodyguard
celebrity
national security agency (nsa)
security guard