By Tania Martin
SILVAN beauty Cassi McKay has been thrust into the spotlight following a chance meeting with Harry Potter star Daniel Radcliffe.
Cassi, 21, met the Harry Potter star at the 2007 Australian Film Industry (AFI) awards for a fleeting moment and unwittingly cast a spell over him.
Radcliffe recently admitted to the world media that he regretted not talking to the Australian beauty that he had locked eyes with back stage at the awards and later at an after-party.
Radcliffe, 18, recently said that the mystery girl had made a lasting impression and that he regretted not getting her phone number while he had the chance.
But, Radcliffe who has amassed a $50 million fortune, will have to wait in line as Cassi is happily in a committed relationship.
Her mother, Vicki, said that her daughter is very down-to-earth and not easily taken by fame or money.
In a real-life plot any screen writer would be proud off, it wasn’t long before Cassi realised she was that girl.
She had been performing at the AFI awards, playing the trumpet with David Campbell’s back-up band.
“It was an insane night and it was very exciting to be performing at the awards,” Cassi said.
She has had a passion for music since she was just a child and was thrilled to get the chance to perform in front of some of the world’s movie stars.
Cassi has spent the past 12 months working in Sydney for an insurance company saving money for a four month sojourn to continental Europe and the United Kingdom with boyfriend Matt Wesley.
Mrs McKay said Cassi had moved to Sydney to be closer to her boyfriend of almost three years.
“She moved to Sydney to be near Matt and have the adventure of working away from home,” Mrs McKay said.
“But she is a hills girl at heart and missed the place so much she is moving back home.”
Cassi said playing at the AFI awards and rubbing shoulders with international movie stars had been a dreamlike experience.
“It was amazing. It was so fancy (the after-party), and it was so surreal to be there walking among all those famous people,” she said.
Cassi said she was shocked by Radcliffe’s interest as their meeting was only fleeting.
After hearing of Radcliffe’s comments, Cassi rang a local radio station that was carrying the story and revealed she was the girl he was talking about.
She never expected that a media frenzy would follow her announcement.
“All of a sudden newspapers were on the hunt,” she said.
“I even had radio stations from Japan, and UK media companies calling me – it was insane.”
Following her four-month holiday, Cassi will return to her beloved hills where she hopes to teach music.
“I haven’t been able to concentrate on my music in the past 12 months, I have been working to save for our holiday,” she said.
Cassi and Matt now hope that the hype will die down as they headed off on their four-month European holiday last Thursday.
However, Cassi will probably have to endure the spotlight a little bit longer as she heads for another media scrum – the UK.
