Hulu's new comedy 'Quasi' mixes humor with history

NEW YORK -- A new film on Hulu mixes humor with history but also tells the story of a group of college friends who grew up to make movies together.

Steve Lemme stars as Quasimodo, the Hunchback of Notre Dame, from the novel of the same name - but any resemblance to that classic tale is purely coincidental in the comedy "Quasi."

Entertainment reporter Sandy Kenyon says he finds most comedies to be more stupid than funny, but he says "Quasi" is the exception.

It may be silly at times, but with Lemme in the title role, it's a delightful mixture of humor and heart.

In Medieval France, the legendary Quasimodo is caught in a feud between a king and a pope - and rarely has history proved so hilarious.

"He's just down, and there's nowhere to go but up for this guy," Lemme said.

Mining the Quai character for laughs proved quite taxing for Lemme.

"I mean this was a little tiring at first, but after a while it's like working out at the gym, it just kinda slips into place and now it just stays there," he said.

Playing the famous hunchback was also physically demanding.

"The hard part was bending over with the hump, the hunchback, and I did some research, and I found that what it is is the hump is so heavy it actually pulls your back forward and down," Lemme said.

The actor plays dual roles in Quasi and so do the other members of the comedy group known as "Broken Lizard."

The five members have been performing together for more than 30 years ever since they all attended Colgate University.

"We were friends in college first, and we would laugh together and go out together, and we had the same interests," Lemme said.

The bond was nurtured through the years and is visible on screen.

"We're not afraid to call each other out when somebody's being a jerk, but on the flip side, we're able to hug each other when things are going really well, and we always return back to our place of friendship, so I think that's the secret to longevity," Lemme said.

Lemme is a father to two sons, ages 8 and 11. They have gotten to act in small parts opposite their dad on his TV series "Tacoma F.D."

And the older son, Carlos, even had a few lines in season three. Lemme joked that they're still young enough to think their dad is pretty cool.

"Quasi" is streaming now on Hulu, which is owned by the same parent company as this station.