Brook Lynn Ashton is the daughter of Ned Ashton and Lois Cerullo on the ABC soap opera General Hospital. Originally born sometime in 1996, she was portrayed by Brooke Radding from 1996 to 2001. Adrianne Leon stepped into the role in 2004 as a rapidly aged Brook, leaving in 2006. She returned in 2010.
Casting
Radding's portrayal got her two nominations: Outstanding Female Newcomer Award from Soap Opera Digest, and Outstanding Younger Actress at the Daytime Emmy Awards, both in 2005. Leon left the show in 2006. In March 2010, it was announced that Leon would reprise her role as Brook Lynn in May 2010.[1]
Backround
Brook Lynn Ashton, born in 1996, was named after Brooklyn, New York where her mother and father had spent many happy times together. But at the time of her birth, Brook's parents were estranged. Lois Cerello had returned to her family in Bensonhurst after she realized she didn't want her daughter growing up around the Quartermaines. Her feelings were cemented after Ned Ashton failed in his attempts to make Lois and their record business his first priority. He returned to ELQ and Lois returned to her family. Lois brought Brook to meet Ned a few months after she was born. Although Lois claimed she hadn't come to reconcile with Ned, it was clear Lois and Ned were still in love with each other. But after she overheard him blackmailing his cousin Justus, Lois left town with her daughter.
Ned saw his daughter on birthdays and introduced her to Chloe Morgan when he was married to her. Brook adored Chloe and was none too thrilled to learn several months later that Alexis Davis had become Ned's new love. She later came to like Alexis, but couldn't understand what was happening when Alexis left her father at the altar.
2004 return
The role of Brook Lynn is currently scripted to be born in 1987, aging her by 9 years.
Brook returned to Port Charles in early 2004 using Lynn as her name. After haunting L&B's studio with her talented singing voice, she became friends with Georgie Jones and Dillon Quartermaine, who was unaware that he was Lynn's uncle. Impressed by her voice, they persuaded her to record a demo tape. But Lynn remained adamant that she only sang for the joy of it and didn't want to profit from it, which was something her mother wanted her to do. Lynn's true identity and ties to the Quartermaines came out after a man claiming to be her father attempted to take her home to her mother. She escaped by stealing his car, but Dillon later turned them in to the cops and they wound up back at the Quartermaine's. Lois wanted to take Brooke back to Bensonhurst with her, but Ned persuaded her to let Brook stay and to stay in town with Brook.
Lois repeatedly tried to convince Brook that she should sing professionally, but each time they ended up in a fight. Seeing how hard Brook fought her mother, Ned took a different approach. He persuaded her to sing with him just for fun. But she remained strongly opposed to singing professionally. She was even willing to let Sage sing one of her songs rather than sing it herself. Mother and daughter had the same idea of bringing Edward Quartermaine roses after Lila Quartermaine died. Each of them regretted the fact that Brook never got to know Lila. Brook finally sang for a crowd at her great-grandmother's funeral. Later she misinterpreted the situation when Lois tried to convey how proud she was of her daughter. Believing that Lois wanted to capitalize on the event, Brook yelled at Lois who took off, hurt by her daughter's words.
Diego
Brook's relationship with her mother continued to go poorly as Lois became involved with Lorenzo Alcazar. Brook hated that her mother would date a thug when she was always told not to. In an attempt to give her mother a taste of her own medicine, Brook began getting cozy with Diego Alcazar, Courtney Jacks's foster child. Diego had made his desire to work for Sonny obvious to anyone who would listen, and Lois wasn't a fool. Diego and Brook grew closer when Brook walked in on her mother and Lorenzo shortly after the two had made love. Enraged, Brook ran away with Diego, where the two escaped to Mexico to find Diego's sister, Maria. Georgie and Dillon accompanied the duo and the four were arrested when Maria denied knowing Diego and let her fiancé arrest the group of teenagers.
She later had them released and warned Diego to get out of Port Charles. Brook and Diego then began their mission to discover why Maria didn't want Diego in Port Charles. Working together, they determined that Sonny must have killed Diego's father, and Diego decided to find out why. Dressing as a delivery girl, Brook attempted to divert Max (Sonny's bodyguard) 's attention while Diego tried to break into Sonny's apartment. Sam caught the two before they could enter the apartment. Jason agreed to help Diego find out if Sonny had anything to do with the murder of Diego's father, and Courtney arrived to bring the two home.
Departure
Diego and Brook Lynn didn't last long, because he soon developed an interest in Maxie Jones, leaving Brook Lynn out in the cold. After graduating high school, Brook Lynn enrolled at Port Charles University -- and ended up having Maxie as a roommate. After being drugged at a party, Brook learned there were nude pictures of her circulating on the Internet and elsewhere. She began to suspect that Diego was her stalker, but he kept coming up with all the right answers for every one of her questions. Ultimately, Brook learned that her suspicions were right: Diego had indeed been stalking her as payback for what Brook Lynn and the others had done to Sage.
A short while later, Brook Lynn decided to leave Port Charles and join her mother in New York so that she could pursue her music career.
2010 return
Brook Lynn returns to town on May 21, 2010 when Carly Jacks needs her to start trouble between Dante Falconeri and his girlfriend, Lulu Spencer.[2] Brook Lynn gains Lulu and Dante's trust but begins to fall for Dante's mother's boyfriend, mobster Johnny Zacchara.