Essentially, Der Hauptdarstellar tells the story of Pepe, a lower-class boy (Michael Schweiger) who is exploited by an experimental filmmaker for his own purposes, giving him the idea that his appearance in a leading role in a film will substantially change his agonizing life into something more glamorous and bearable. When he discovers that he will immediately return to the obscurity and abuse which was his lot beforehand, he begins a desperate campaign to get the attention of the filmmaker and his crew. Unfortunately, his acts of arson and destruction fail to have the desired effect, and he is left with the choice that confronted him before: to stay in his abusive home, or to take to the streets.