Eastwood's character is the sole active-duty Secret Service agent remaining from the detail guarding John F. Kennedy in Dallas, Texas, at the time of his assassination in 1963. Rene Russo, Dylan McDermott, Gary Cole, John Mahoney, and Fred Thompson also star. The film was co-produced by Columbia Pictures and Castle Rock Entertainment, with Columbia handling distribution. It is also notable for being the last film in which Eastwood starred that he did not also direct. Petersen also originally offered the role of Leary to Robert De Niro, who turned it down due to scheduling conflicts with Cape Fear and This Boy's Life.