Purple Hearts - Characters & Cast

Her primary motivation is survival. Diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes six months prior, she is unable to afford her life-saving insulin and is desperate for health insurance, which drives her to propose the fraudulent marriage. This is coupled with her fierce ambition to succeed as a singer-songwriter on her own terms.

Cassie begins as a cynical, fiercely independent, and outspoken liberal who is deeply distrustful of the system and institutions like the military. Her pragmatism leads her into the marriage fraud. Through her forced connection with Luke, she is challenged to look beyond her political preconceptions. She develops empathy for his struggles and the sacrifices of military families. Her arc is one of opening up to vulnerability, falling in love against her better judgment, and ultimately trading her cynicism for a belief in a love that can bridge any divide.

Luke's main motivation is to pay off a $15,000 debt to his former drug dealer, Johnno, and to prove to his estranged father that he has become a better man. The extra pay from being a married Marine is the only way he sees to clear his debt and escape his past.

Luke starts as a stoic, conservative Marine with a troubled past he's trying to escape. He joined the service to find structure and earn back the respect of his father after a battle with addiction left him in debt to a dangerous drug dealer. His initial motivations for the marriage are purely financial. Through his relationship with Cassie and his traumatic experiences in Iraq, he learns to be more emotionally open and communicative. His arc is about redemption, learning to be vulnerable, and discovering a new definition of honor—not just in military service, but in sacrificing himself for the person he loves.

Frankie's motivation is to serve his country and to be a loyal friend to both Cassie and Luke. He looks out for Cassie and is a supportive comrade to Luke. He is the good-natured link that brings the two protagonists into each other's orbits.

Frankie serves as the catalyst for the central relationship. He is Cassie's kindhearted childhood friend and Luke's bunkmate in the Marines. He represents a middle ground between Cassie's and Luke's worlds. When Cassie first proposes the marriage scheme to him, he turns it down because he is in a real relationship, highlighting his more traditional values. His tragic death in Iraq deeply affects both Cassie and Luke, serving as a sobering reminder of the stakes and indirectly pushing them closer together.