Daphne Ashbrook (1963)

 personal life

Daphne Ashbrook was raised in the San Diego, CA area. Her parents are San Diego theatre actress D'Ann Paton and late actor/Director Buddy Ashbrook. Her siblings are actor Dana Ashbrook and director Taylor Ashbrook.

In 1988, Ashbrook had a daughter, Paton Lee Ashbrook, with former boyfriend Lorenzo Lamas. Paton is also an actress.

 career

Known for both her comic timing and deep emotional portrayals, she has appeared in many television and film roles including Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (as the titular character in "Melora") and the Doctor Who telemovie, in which she played the role of Doctor Grace Holloway. Her portrayal as Grace in Doctor Who caused consternation among some of that show's fans because she was the first character to romantically kiss the Doctor, setting a precedent for the more sexually charged nature of the new Doctor Who series that began in 2005.

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. She performed opposite Paul McGann for first time since the 1996 telemovie. In 2006, she played Charlotte Howell in the audio drama Dark Shadows: The Book of Temptation for the same company. She has been to the UK twice thus far for Doctor Who convention events. She was featured in extensive interviews on the Doctor Who podcast Doctor Who: DWO Whocast and Doctor Who podcast Doctor Who: Podshock. Additionally, she featured in other Doctor Who podcasts

She was notable as being one of only ten actors—and the only woman—to be credited in both the Star Trek and Doctor Who franchises. until the appearance of Nana Visitor on Torchwood: Miracle Day in 2011, 15 years later.

Her past TV work includes Cold Case, CSI, Crossing Jordan, JAG, Murder She Wrote, Judging Amy, the Profiler, Guardian, The O.C. and Cupid. She also starred in one episode of Street Hawk titled, "Dog Eat Dog" which aired in February 1985. Her recent roles include a part in David Ondaatje's 2009 motion picture "The Lodger" starring Alfred Molina, Shane West, Simon Baker and Hope Davis, and guest starring roles in The Ghost Whisperer, with Jennifer Love Hewitt, and Without a Trace with Anthony LaPaglia and Steven Weber. She guest starred as a dancer visiting from Czechoslavakia in the third season of Fame.

Hirst Publishing, a UK-based publishing house, has announced it will be releasing an autobiography by Ashbrook, Dead Woman Laughing, at the end of 2011.