Richard Dreyfuss plays actor Jack Noah, who gets the role of his life when Parador's fascist strongman consumes too much national drink and drops dead the day before the elections. The chief of police (Raul Julia) then "invites" Noah to assume the role of president - under the threat of death. Noah's confidence grows with each speech and with personal support from the dead leader's sultry mistress (Sonia Braga), a champion of Parador's downtrodden masses. But when guerilla fighters strike, Noah wonders if it might not be time to move to a new role.