The actress assisted the newly-minted Oscar winner during filming of The Aviator back in 2003 – and not surprisingly looks back on the role with fond memories.
Leo and I always had fun on set,” Kasi tells The Huffington Post.
“[We loved] to observe people and goof around playing characters, doing accents, whatever.”
“Sometimes I would pretend that he was the stereotype of an entitled celebrity and when he would ask me to do something, I would bow and in a beaten-down voice say, ‘Yes, sir, anything you like sir, anything else, sir?’ and he would laugh and tell me to knock it off.”
Kasi admits connections landed her the coveted role.
She was already friend’s with Kayce Brown who was working as Leo’s assistant in 2002 while he filmed Catch Me If You Can.
Kayce was still in the role at the start of The Aviator when Kasi flew in to hang out – as you do.
When filming moved to L.A. and Kayce bowed out, Kasi was an automatic choice to take over.
With so much time together, Kasi says she learned a lot about Leonardo.
Like how private he is, after he told her he liked Halloween so much because when wearing a costume he was “able to walk amongst people and interact with them without recognition.”
He’s also very smart, with an in-depth knowledge of “politics, pop culture, history, you name it. He has a “wicked sense of humor.”
“He’s extremely down to earth, and he likes to share stories and life experiences with people,” she adds.
And the best bit? Leo remains loyal to Kasi long after he wasn’t her boss and she’s tried to make it on her own as an actress.
She says he still makes efforts to keep in touch and gives her useful professional feedback and encouragement as she tries to make her own Hollywood dream come true.
