Director Zach Godshall met Thomas Alan Williamson ten years ago in Baton Rouge, Lousiana when he cast him in his films. Thomas, a part-time actor in his 50s defies all expectations. Facing trauma, mental illness, homelessness, and isolation, Thomas's joy, optimism, and most of all laughter paint the portrait of a man in love with life despite the odds being stacked against him. Thomas would like to visit his dying father in East Texas who he has become enstranged from but every day is a struggle to survive. Director Zack Godshall navigates his own complicated relationship with Thomas as the lines between director, collaborator, friend and caregiver are blurred. The Laughing Man weaves verité footage, first-person accounts and Thomas' own writing in this intimate look into his struggles, his strained relationship with his father, his perseverance and his optimism to appreciate life's beauty.