Director Frank Oz enthuses, "The public sees Steve as a comedian, which he is, but he's also such an amazing and unique writer. There's always so much feeling in his work. He touches people while making them laugh."
For Martin, the birth of Bowfinger came as a natural, based on an idea he had had over 10 years ago. When finally putting pen to paper, he wrote the screenplay in just a few short months. And even though the story takes place in Hollywood, its appeal is not predicated on film industry knowledge.
Martin says, "I wanted the audience to understand the film without knowing anything about the movie business. Producer Brian Grazer and I didn't want the script to be a parody or satire on Hollywood. We just wanted it to be fun, so I kept writing in that direction."
Grazer agreed, and says, "Although a lot of the story involves Hollywood, the movie actually has very little to do with Hollywood—it has more to do with universal goals."
Adds Oz, "The emphasis is really not on Hollywood movies. Besides being very funny, the story is really about a group of people with a dream, and the only thing standing in their way is their own incompetence."
