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Born in Long Beach, California, on January 30, 1963,[2][3][4] Ashbrook is the daughter of actor/director Buddy Ashbrook and actress D'Ann Paton.[5]
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 (1982),[6]Come Blow Your Horn (1983),[7] and The Coming of Stork (1984).[8]
She guest starred on the show Riptide in an episode that aired on October 2, 1984, titled, "Where The Girls Are." She played a character named Courtland Reece.
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.[10]
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 Productions audio play The Next Life.[citation needed]
In 2012, Ashbrook released a memoir Dead Woman Laughing (An actor's take from both sides of the camera). It details her life as an actor and her experience growing up in an acting family.[citation needed]
Personal life
On September 6, 1988, Ashbrook and her then-partner, Lorenzo Lamas (whom she had met while appearing on Falcon Crest), had a daughter, Paton Lee.[11]
↑ Russell, Kathlyn (April 22, 1982). "Salesman'; Legend that's seldom seen". Times-Advocate. p.B4. Retrieved July 13, 2025. "Among the North County participants in the production are [...] Daphne Lee Ashbrook, daughter of Palomar College Theater director Buddy Ashbrook, in a minor role."
↑ Scott, Cavan (2013). WHO-OLOGY – Dr. Who: The Official Miscellany . BBC Books. pp.119, 152. ISBN9781849908764. "JANUARY Deborah Watling —_2 January 1948 Richard Franklin 15 January 1936 Daphne Ashbrook 30 January 1963 [...] A familiar face on US television, Long Beach-born actress Daphne Ashbrook scored two firsts in Doctor Who. Not only was she the first and - to date - only American to be cast as a companion, she was also the first to lock lips with the Doctor."
↑ "Celebrity Spotlight: Today's Celebrity Birthdays". The Times Transcript. January 30, 2012. p.D1. Retrieved July 13, 2025. "Actor Gene Hackman (The French Connection) is 82 ● Actress Vanessa Redgrave (Coriolanus) is 75 ● Musician Phil Collins is 61 ● Actor Charles Dutton (Alien 3) is 61 ● Actress Daphne Ashbrook (The O.C.) is 49 ● Actor Tony O’Dell (Head of the Class) is 42 ● Actor Christian Bale (The Dark Knight) is 38."
↑ "EHS Teachers in Playhouse Presentation". Daily Times-Advocate. July 9, 1964. p.10. Retrieved July 13, 2025. "The Escondidans are Vernon L. (Buddy) Ashbrook and Harold F. Cavanagh. [...] The Ashbrooks have two daughters, Tafi, 3, and Daphne, 17 months. Ashbrook came to Escondido last Summer from Los Alamitos."
↑ "People". The Forum. September 9, 1988. p.2. Retrieved July 13, 2025. "Lorenzo Lamas, star of the prime-time soap opera 'Falcon Crest,' and his girlfriend, actress Daphne Ashbrook, have become the parents of a girl, a publicist said. Ashbrook gave birth to the couple's first child Tuesday evening in Los Angeles, Eddie Michaels said. They named her Paton Lee Lamas. [...] Ashbrook met him while appearing on the show."
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