Martin's character, Bobby Bowfinger, dreams of directing a film and seeing his name emblazoned across the big screen. After many failed attempts, he now feels his time has come: it's now or never. With sheer force of will, he goes to great lengths, often unscrupulously, to see his film get made. He surrounds himself with a crew of oddballs, equally hungry and desperate, who have pinned their dreams of fame and fortune on his guerrilla production. Bowfinger is their only hope.
According to Martin, "They're a group of loser filmmakers on the periphery of show business who decide to make a movie with a major motion picture star without telling him." He adds, "You don't have to be an idiot to lose. You can be very smart and not make it: someone may not see your talent, or you may not have a vehicle to express your talent. So, I call them losers, but they're not. They're simply people who haven't made it and time is running out."
From the aging regional stage actress who remembers her brief (hence, virtually non-existent) glory days, to the aspiring fresh-faced young woman just off the bus from Iowa, Bowfinger is a magnet for these glossy-eyed, hopeful dreamers.
"When I came to Hollywood," Martin remembers, "I attached myself to people who were small-time—not scurrilous—just small-time. You go with who's opening the door for you. Bobby Bowfinger believes in all his people. He believes in himself and even though he got a raw deal, he still has confidence. It's his last chance, and he is the crew's only chance."
