Pauley Perrette was one of the big stars on NCIS for many years. However, once she left in 2018, the studio tried to find someone to replace her. That person became Diona Reasonover, who instantly became a popular character.
The 30-year-old Detroit native has been on the show ever since, but in the beginning, she wasn’t quite sure about the role.
In fact, Reasonover was afraid and nervous about taking on the role of Pauley Perrette’s replacement, the character of Kasie Hines. So how did she manage to find the courage to do it? And how did Diona Reasonover end up on the successful television show?
This is all you need to know about Diona – and her wife Patricia Villetto whom she married in 2018.
When a TV show runs long enough, they’ll always end up introducing many new characters. Sometimes these are minor recurring roles, but new characters can take the lead in other cases.
There are many examples of when this hasn’t worked out at all, but in other cases, it can keep the show going for many more seasons.
At the same time, taking on a role or even replacing someone can be insensitive. The viewers and fans already have an opinion of that character, and when someone new comes in, it might not be the same.
Diona Reasonover as Kasie Hines on ‘NCIS’
Actress Diona Reasonover took over after Pauley Perrette left NCIS in 2018. Pauley – starring as Abby Scioto – was a well-respected and praised actress on the show who had been on it since 2003.
When she suddenly left, the show needed someone to take her place. Diona Reasonover got the part of Kasie Hines – the Forensic Scientist for the NCIS Major Case Response Team – and in the beginning, she was worried about taking over after Pauley.
Diona felt that fans might not accept her as Pauley Perrette’s replacement. However, she got fantastic support from Pauley herself. And in fact, the two even sat down before Diona went on the show, with Perrette giving her a vital lesson.
So who is Diona Reasonover? This is all you need to know about the 30-year-old actress!
Diona Reasonover was born on January 6, 1992, in Detroit, Michigan. Even as a young girl, television and movies were a big part of her life, as she usually watched them with her father.
She loved the comedy genre from the start, with Detroit also being where many famous comedians were born.
“I think we’re just born resilient, and comedy is about resilience,” Diona Reasonover told the Detroit Free Press about her and the Detroit citizens.
Diona Reasonover – early life & theatre career
Diona became a huge fan of Whoopi Goldberg and pretty much wanted to become her. The Detroit native described herself as a “math geek” in high school, but had also become very interested in acting. Diona Reasonover starred in several productions with the Mosaic Youth Theatre, where she studied the art of acting.
The theatre had a program that provided arts education and experiences for the Detroit teenagers. After a while, Diona not only performed in Detroit but also out of the country.
Reasonover went to Oberlin College, graduating with a Bachelor’s Degree in theatre and dance. Then, she decided to move to the west coast and attended the California Institute of the Arts in Santa Clarita, receiving a Master’s Degree in acting.
While it was clear that Reasonover was passionate about acting, she also knew that the business was very tough. Therefore, she decided to study art history, where she thought she might work as a museum curator in the future.
However, it was clear that there was a plan for Diona – and it was acting. But even though she got a job at the Skirball Cultural Center in Los Angeles working in Shakespeare productions, she felt that it was depressing since her characters always died.
“I went to school thinking, ‘I’ll figure out what I want to do. It probably won’t be acting because I need something more stable than that,’” Diona told Urban Magazine. “And I tried a whole bunch of other things, but I just kept coming back to acting.”
First work in television
“I thought I wanted to do Shakespeare and heavy, heavy stuff, so that’s kind of what my training is in. I started doing comedy just to lighten my mood a little bit. Now it’s like I’m using the past in the present. I like it! It’s fun!”
Comedy became Diona Reasonover’s calling. According to Booktrib, she started working in improv comedy. It didn’t take long for people in comedy to understand that she was a natural. Diona began working with some of the biggest names in improv comedy. She even won a scholarship to Second City, learning improv, writing, and stand up.
After working in the comedy business – perfecting her skills in writing and performance – she was headed into a whole new area: television.
After appearing in the CBS Diversity Sketch Comedy Showcase, Diona Reasonover’s name started to gain interest from others in the business. She got roles in several television pilots, which kickstarted her career.
Her first big part was in the TBS sitcom Clipped after the casting director saw her on CBS. It became Diona Reasonover’s breakthrough and was a special part to play.
“I got this part by being who I am, and I’d like to continue being who I am,” Diona told The Blot. “I’m a queer person of color playing a queer person of color on TV. I’m really bringing myself to the role.”
Who is Kasie Hines on ‘NCIS’?
Reasonover continued with both acting and writing. She worked on a the TV series Adam Ruins Everything in 2016. The year after, Diona wrote an episode for Amazon’s television series I Love Dick and ten episodes for Sarah Silverman’s show I Love You America, in which she also starred in several episode.
In 2018, she got the role of Kasie Hines, the new Forensic Scientist for the Major Case Response Team in NCIS. Reasonover’s character replaced Abby Sciuto when actress Pauley Perretttee decided to leave.
However, when Diona heard of the role, she didn’t know if it would even be possible. In an interview with the New York Post, she explained that she had knee surgery just two days before the audition.
“I’m on painkillers and like [slurs voice] ‘I don’t think I can drive,’” Reasonover recalled. “I ended up going in later because the auditions were still happening. At that point, I’d been through physical therapy and was still on crutches, but I was moving a lot better.”
Diona got the part of Kasie Hines, but at the same time, she was very nervous.
Worried about replacing Pauley Perrette on ‘NCIS’
On the first day on set, her leg was “still a little bit messed up,” with people on set bringing her ice packs constantly.
“I was actually worried. What if I get there, and they’re like, ‘Why can’t you run and jump on this table? This is a procedural!’ she said. “But everybody was showing me their battle scars, rolling up their pants legs and being like, ‘Yeah, I had this one done in 2000 and this one done last week!’ It was great.”
Taking over after another actor – especially since Pauley Perrette was a very popular character – must be hard. And for Diona Reasonover, it wasn’t all amazing feelings once she began her work on NCIS, even though fans were open and generous.
“I was really worried coming into a show that was already established. People know [the series], and people love it. To be coming in as the new person in this dynamic is really hard,” she told TV Insider, adding that she was worried that she’d be compared to Pauley Perrette.
In fact, the two sat down before Diona even started, where she gave her some great tips.
“I was [worried], but Pauley sat me down on my first day and told me, ‘Just be yourself.’ And that was really helpful because that’s the only person I can be. I’m bringing as much truth to this as I can.”
As of now, Diona Reasonover has starred in 75 episodes of NCIS. She quickly became a very popular character, starring alongside Mark Harmon, Michael Weatherly, David McCallum, and Sean Murray.
‘I’m going to stay on forever’
It’s easy to say that NCIS is a great show to be part of. According to The Hollywood Reporter, NCIS is licensed in more than 200 countries today, with numerous CBS spin-offs such as NCIS: New Orleans, NCIS: Los Angeles, and NCIS: Hawaii.
The show has been nominated for three Primetime Emmys and won several other awards throughout its lifetime. Diona is still waiting for her award for her work on NCIS, but the important thing is that she’s enjoying the work.
“I really value people who work hard and the family aspect of being on the NCIS set. Everybody is there for one another. That’s not something that you always hear about in Hollywood,” she told Pop Culturalist. “I guess what I’ve learned is never cancel this show. I’m going to stay on forever. You can’t drive me away.”
NCIS is on its 19th season, and nothing points towards Diona Reasonover leaving it at all. On the contrary, as she said, she wishes to be on the show forever. However, some of her co-stars, Mark Harmon, have already left.
Diona Reasonover – net worth
Doing a big show such as NCIS means long hours and plenty of episodes to shoot. However, Diona is also getting paid for it. As of today, she’s said to have a net worth of around $1.5 million.
Being on a long-running show was a brand new experience for Diona – but she’s learned plenty.
“I’ve learned how to be kinder to myself. When you’re doing 24 episodes, and you’re doing these really quick turnarounds for each episode, you don’t have time to sit there and be like, ‘Oh, I could have done this better, or I wonder if they liked it?’ she told Urban Magazine.
“Everyone is just kind of assuming that you’re just going to come in and do your best and move on. That’s really what you have to do, so I learned to stop putting so much pressure on myself to be perfect.”
At the same time as Diona Reasonover has made herself a big name in television, she also found the love of her life. In 2018, she married Patricia Villetto. Pictures from their wedding show Diana wearing a beautiful white wedding gown.
So who is Diona Reasonover’s wife Patricia Villetto?
Who is Diona Reasonover’s wife Patricia?
On her Twitter account, she describes herself as a “first-generation Irish/Italian New York LGBTQ comedy writer.” She is working in the entertainment industry as a comedy screenwriter, actor, and producer.
Patricia graduated from the University of Ulster in Northern Ireland, according to Amomama, and in 2015, she began working for Dreamworks.
Further, Patricia Villetto’s worked on projects such as Kung Fu Panda, Ben 10, Epic Cat Battles with Puss and Boots, as well as Camp Nick. Further, her acting credits include Elijah’s Ashes and Addicted to You.
Working in the entertainment industry can surely be a stressful job.
Married in 2018
But at the same time as Diona Reasonover now is turning into quite a star, she says that her wife Patricia, helps her to stay grounded.
“She’s really cool, she’s really chill. She keeps me calm. Because I get really excited, and sometimes I get really nervous and very clumsy,” Reasonover told Entertainment Tonight. “She does this thing sometimes where she [shushes me]. I know it doesn’t sound cute but it’s really cute when she does it.”
As mentioned, Diona and Patricia married in 2018. But their wedding also became a very special occasion for one, kind of strange, reason.
Speaking with Parade, Reasonover explained that her mother and aunt had gotten free gifts during a taping of The Talk. And at Diona’s wedding, they tried giving away the gifts to the guests.
“I got VIP tickets to take my mom to The Talk. It was really cool. She was really happy. Dove was giving away dry shampoo that day and her and my aunt, I’m not kidding, they’re such hoarders, they each took 10 vials of dry shampoo,” Diona recalled.
“Then they were trying to give it away at my wedding because they couldn’t take it home with them on the plane. They were like, ‘Anybody want some dry shampoo? We’re going to toss the bouquet and also toss some dry shampoo if anybody wants some.’ I was like, ‘Stop.’”
Diona Reasonover is doing a great job on NCIS, and we hope she remains on the show for years to come.
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