The daughter of actor/director Buddy Ashbrook and actress D'Ann Paton, Ashbrook was raised in the San Diego, California, area. Her siblings are actor Dana Ashbrook and actor/director Taylor Ashbrook. She made her acting debut at age 6.
Career
Ashbrook gained early acting experience on stage in the Los Angeles area. Productions in which she appeared included Burlesque... The Way You Like It, Come Blow Your Horn, and The Coming of Stork. Ashbrook played Liz McKay in the ABC crime drama Our Family Honor, Kathy Davenport on the ABC crime drama Fortune Dane and Alex in the ABC comedy-drama Hooperman. In 1990, she appeared as Phyllis Gates, Rock Hudson's wife, in the television filmRock Hudson. She also appeared in the TV seriesKnight Rider episode, "A Knight in Shining Armor", in 1984 as Katherine Granger Ashbrook played the in "Melora", a 1993 episode of '. She played Grace Holloway in the 1996 television film Doctor Who -- a portrayal that upset some fans because she was the first character to romantically kiss the Doctor. A 2004 trip to the United Kingdom was filmed for the 2005 documentary Daphne Ashbrook in the UK. This DVD documentary followed her work with Doctor Who, including her role as Perfection in the Big Finish Productionsaudio playThe Next Life. In 2006, Ashbrook played Charlotte Howell in the audio drama'. She was featured in extensive interviews on the Doctor Who podcasts, and as well as in other podcasts including "The Happiness Patrol". Other television work includes Cold Case, , Crossing Jordan, JAG, Murder, She Wrote, Judging Amy and Intruders. She had a recurring role on The O.C.. Other appearances include the film The Lodger, and episodes of NCIS, Ghost Whisperer, Without a Trace, and Fame. In 2012 she starred as Jackie in the Nickelodeon night time soap Hollywood Heights. In 2010 she released her first music CD, Grace Notes on Dharmapala Records to very positive reviews. The songs range from Roots to Jazz and are mostly covers from some of her favorite singer/songwriters, such as Joni Mitchell and Patty Griffin. The CD was produced by composer/multi-instrumentalist David Vito Gregoli. She has performed music from the CD at various conventions and other events. In 2012 Ashbrook released a memoir Dead Woman Laughing . It details her life as an actor and her experience growing up in an acting family.
Personal life
On September 6, 1988, Ashbrook and her then-partner, Lorenzo Lamas had a daughter named Paton Lee.
