Aspiring actor and hot-dog stand employee Bobby Taylor (Townsend) catches the ire of his grandmother for auditioning for a role a regrettably titled exploitation film. When Tinseltown Studios casts Taylor in the title role, he has a series of conflicted dreams satirising African-American stereotypes in Hollywood and must reconcile his career goals with his desire to remain a positive role model for his little brother.
A watershed moment in American independent cinema, Hollywood Shuffle marked the arrival of a major talent in Townsend who writes, produces and directs this satirical but incredibly entertaining comedy that was an influence on Spike Lee’s Bamboozled.