Naman Shrestha
Inspired by numerous high-profile conservatorships, including that of Britney Spears and Wendy Williams, Lifetime’s ‘The Bad Guardian’ is a thriller drama movie that introduces us to a woman who realizes the danger her father is in and embarks on a mission to save him on her own. While Leigh is out of town, her father, Jason, gets severely injured after suffering a fall. In light of the incident, the court assigns him a personal guardian named Janet. Now that Janet handles all the aspects of Jason’s life, she wastes no time in putting him in a nursing home and auctioning off his property and other belongings.
When Leigh confronts Janet, she uses her legal power to stop the family from visiting. Since all of Janet’s attention is on other things, Jason’s health deteriorates drastically, so much so that the doctors recommend a life-saving treatment. After the guardian deems the treatment too expensive and refuses to get it done, Leigh must do everything in her power to take Janet down and expose the corrupt system. The Claudia Myers directorial takes place mostly in and around Jason’s residence as his daughter attempts to learn the truth about the guardian.
Where Was The Bad Guardian Filmed?
The production of ‘The Bad Guardian’ took place entirely in West Virginia, especially in Fairmont. Principal photography for the thriller reportedly began in February 2024 and wrapped up after several weeks in March of the same year. Around the time of its release, Cameron Rose Hoppe, who portrays Allie Delgado, reminisced about her time on set and posted on social media. She wrote, “I was so lucky to be a part of The Bad Guardian on @lifetimetv which helps raise awareness of elder abuse occurring in guardianships as well as long term care. It was such an incredible experience working with seasoned actors as well as a wonderful director and producers. Thank you to all who made this so memorable.”
Fairmont, West Virginia
The pleasant town of Fairmont in Marion County, West Virginia, is where the filming of ‘The Bad Guardian’ took place. The cast and crew of the Lifetime production likely moved to several spots in the city to look for ideal backdrops to paint the visual canvas of the thriller movie. Dubbed “Friendliest Town in America,” the scenic landscapes, delectable gastronomy, picturesque landmarks, and hospitable crowd give the town an aesthetic and laidback appeal, thus making it a favorable destination for tourists as well as filmmakers looking for a charming city for the purpose of filming.
Taking the aforementioned factors into consideration, the production team chose Fairmont to lens the thriller movie. Melissa Joan Hart, who plays Leigh, shared several behind-the-scenes photos from the set, giving her followers a sneak peek into the shooting process. One of the pictures is a selfie of the actress with Monongahela River, also known as The Mon, in the background. Her co-star, La La Anthony, who stars as Janet, expressed her experience filming the project. She wrote, “It was such an incredible experience working with seasoned actors as well as a wonderful director and producers. Thank you to all who made this so memorable.”
The Bad Guardian Cast
‘The Bad Guardian’ stars Melissa Joan Hart in the lead role of Leigh Delgado, a daughter desperate to find out the truth about her father’s court-appointed guardian. The talented actress is renowned for her performances as Nicole in ‘Drive Me Crazy,’ Clarissa Darling in ‘Clarissa Explains It All,’ Melanie in ‘Melissa & Joey’ and Sabrina Spellman in ‘Sabrina the Teenage Witch.’ She has many other movies and television shows to her credit, such as ‘No Good Nick,’ ‘God’s Not Dead 2,’ ‘Mistletoe in Montana,’ ‘Would You Kill for Me? The Mary Bailey Story,’ and ‘Christmas Reservations.’
Starring alongside Melissa’s Leigh is La La Anthony as Janet Timms, the “bad guardian.” You may recognize her as Lakeisha Grant in ‘Power,’ Delina Michaels in ‘Unforgettable,’ and Sonia in ‘Think Like a Man’ as well as ‘Think Like a Man Too.’ Eric Pierpoint appears as Leigh’s father, Jason Davis. A few of his prominent works include ‘The World’s Fastest Indian,’ ‘Alien Nation,’ ‘Star Trek: Enterprise,’ ‘Hot Pursuit,’ ‘Hart of Dixie,’ ‘Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen’ and ‘Liar Liar.’
Luis Bordonada essays the character of Luis Delgado, while Jason M. Jones steps into the role of Dave Timms. The supporting cast comprises Pat Dortch as Judge Russell Bean, Lucia Scarano as Tanya Windham, Cameron Hoppe as Allie Delgado, Teri Clark as Casey Hilder, Jayson Ward Williams as Detective Rush, Mystie Smith as Teresa Williams, Eddie Yu as Mitch Young, Blaque Fowler as Albert Finn and Darren Eliker as Victor Cobb. The movie also features Cynthia Dallas, Rebecca Gruss, Richard Fike, Cindy Lowther, Thomas C. Stuhr, Larry Orton, and RayJonaldy Rodriguez.
Read More: Lifetime’s My Nanny Stole My Life: Filming Locations and Cast Details
