A former scriptwriter for television programmes such as The Net, Bowart (48) turned his back on the bright lights of Hollywood for the bright eyes of laughing children.
"I was chasing the Hollywood dream and then, when it happened and I was actually living it, I thought: `This isn't what I want to do.
"I'd rather be making people laugh than writing crime dramas'," he said yesterday.
"To see a room full of kids and adults getting a laugh is great to see.
"It's a good job to make people laugh and to do it for a living and travel the world."
Bowart grew up in Arizona, but now calls Perth, Australia, home.
He is on his first visit to Dunedin with the circus comedy show LaLaLuna, which opens at the Regent Theatre today.
"This [Regent] theatre is amazing. You're so lucky to have something like this.
"We tour for 10 months a year and you just don't see a lot of venues like this.
"There are very few left, only a handful in the world."
LaLaLuna tells the story of a night the moon went out and the trials and tribulations of the moon's caretaker as he struggled to re-light it.
"It's abstract and surreal, with a lot of magic, juggling, comedy, circus and illusion," Bowart said.
"It's for all ages, from 6 to 96.
"Everyone needs a good laugh."
