Cassie Salazar

Casandra "Cassie" Salazar is a character in the movie Purple Hearts who is portrayed by Sofia Carson.

Biography
Cassie is a singer-songwriter who performs gigs with her band, The Loyal. Cassie was raised by single mother Marisol Salazar in a working-class immigrant family. She doesn't compromise her beliefs. She advocates for marginalized communities and speaks up against injustice.

Cassie was recently diagnosed with type 1 diabetes and struggles to afford rent and insulin. She lives in a 3rd-floor apartment with a broken door knob. She juggles several jobs as a waitress, bartender, food delivery driver and piano teacher.

Throughout Purple Hearts
At a pharmacy, Cassie told a pharmacist that she was unable to afford insulin because her medical insurance hadn't been renewed. Cassie's mother, Marisol overheard and handed Cassie some cash and insisted that health always comes first. Cassie counted the cash, but it was still not enough to afford the insulin, so she left.

Marisol visited Cassie's apartment and noticed that Cassie's rent was unpaid and that the doorknob was broken. She was concerned about her daughter's financial struggles, and proposed having Cassie move back in with her, but Cassie refused.

At a bar, Cassie reunited with her childhood friend Frankie. Cassie was turned off by Frankie's friends' misogynistic jokes, but through this encounter, she met US Marine Lance Corporal, Luke Morrow. Her friend Nora told Cassie that the Mariness encouraged her to reconsider her stance on men, as spouses of Mariness have great health insurance.

While performing at a bar, Cassie became dizzy and walked off-stage halfway through her band's performance.

Cassie went to Frankie's house, where she was greeted by Luke. Cassie proposed the idea of her and Frankie marrying, so that Cassie could get the health benefits, and Frankie could get the extra pay. Luke overheard this, and barged in, lecturing Cassie on how a fraudulent marriage would be ripping off the government. Cassie expressed that she felt differently, as her mother spent 10 years paying taxes before she was given the right to vote, to which Luke retorted that her mother was an illegal immigrant. Frankie ended up turning down the proposal, as he had recently gotten back together with his girlfriend, Riley.

After being threatened by Johnno regarding his $15,000 debt, Luke arranged to meet with Cassie and proposed that the two of them marry, so he could pay off his debt, and Cassie could benefit from the health insurance. They intended to temporarily marry and file for divorce after Luke's deployment.

The night before Luke's deployment, the Marines and their partners had a final dinner together. During the dinner, Cassie was put off by the Marines grunting, and when a Marine, Armando, made a toast to hunting down Arabs, Cassie took offense to it, because it sounded as if they were targeting an entire ethnicity. Armando and Cassie argued, until Luke intervened and told Cassie to sit down. Luke and Cassie continued arguing outside. When Luke noticed that the others were watching, he hugged Cassie and told her to pretend that they were in love, so the other Marines wouldn't suspect their marriage of being fraudulent.

While in Iraq, Luke was injured and brought back to the US. Cassie went to Luke's father's house, believing that she was visiting Luke's brother. Luke's father, Jacob Morrow Sr., was surprised to hear that Luke had enlisted in the Mariness, and that he had a wife. Luke's family visited Luke in hospital and his father, Jacob Sr., wanted to reconnect with him. Jacob offered to drive Luke to his physiotherapy appointments. Luke was dismayed that Cassie had told his father about their marriage, as Luke believed that his father would turn them in himself, if he discovered that their marriage was fraudulent.

Luke moved in with Cassie in her 3rd-floor apartment, where the two got to know each other better.

Cassie and Jacob got Luke a golden retriever dog. The dog was named Peaches because she is from Georgia.

Johnno, a drug dealer who Luke owed $15,000, broke into Cassie's mother's house to threaten Luke. Cassie ended up breaking off the relationship and ordered Luke to move out.

Luke was charged with fraud and detained at a military base. He pled guilty to coercing Cassie into a marriage, and told the judge that Cassie was not aware that their marriage violated military law. He was sentenced to 6 months.

Cassie performed at the Hollywood Bowl with her band, The Loyal. As soon as the concert ended, Cassie rushed over to Camp Pendleton military base. Just as Luke was being led away, about to begin his sentence, Cassie ran over to him and professed her love for Luke. The love was reciprocated and the two kissed.

Physical appearance
Cassie has straight black hair.

Appearances

 * Purple Hearts

Trivia

 * Regarding her role as Cassie, Sofia Carson told Tudum, "I was telling the very real story of a young woman, daughter of an immigrant single mother who has fought for everything in her life. Her story is raw and real and beautiful, but often heavy with trauma, loss, injustice and the reality of an unfair system."
 * Cassie drives a blue Lexus.
 * Cassie has a tattoo on her back that says "Risk nothing, gain nothing" in Spanish.
 * Cassie has never left California, but hopes to travel the world.