Quasimodo

Quasimodo ( KWAH-zee-MOH-doh; from Quasimodo Sunday) is the titular protagonist of the French novel The Hunchback of Notre-Dame (1831) by Victor Hugo. Born with numerous deformities, most notably a hunched back, Quasimodo serves as the bell-ringer for Notre Dame cathedral in fifteenth century Paris. Although his appearance causes others to treat him cruelly, he ultimately finds sanctuary in an unlikely love that is fulfilled only in death. The role of Quasimodo has been played by many actors in film adaptations, including Lon Chaney (1923), Charles Laughton (1939), Anthony Quinn (1956), and Anthony Hopkins (1982). In addition, he was voiced by Tom Hulce in a Disney animated feature (1996); was parodied by Steve Lemme in the comedy Quasi (2023); and most recently was portrayed by Angelo Del Vecchio in a revival of the French-language musical Notre Dame de Paris. In 2010, a British researcher found evidence suggesting there was a real-life hunchbacked stone carver who worked at Notre Dame during the same period Victor Hugo was writing the novel and they may have even known each other.