Ashbrook: The Boyfriend From Hell

If Dana Ashbrook knows who killed Laura Palmer on ABC’s cult series, “Twin Peaks,” which just garnered 14 Emmy nominations and begins reruns Sunday at 9 p.m., he’s certainly not going to spill the beans.

“You can draw your own conclusions,” says the actor who plays Bobby, the odious boyfriend of the late homecoming queen. He himself barely escaped being axed to death in the series’ cliffhanger.

The 22-year-old Ashbrook plays an equally sleazy teen-ager in Bill Cosby’s comedy feature, “Ghost Dad.” “I’m the guy who is trying to get Kimberly Russell (who plays Cosby’s daughter) into bed,” he explains. “Since Bill is a ghost and hears me say all of this to her, he tries to strangle me.”

Ashbrook made “Ghost Dad” just before reporting to work on “Twin Peaks.” The series’ casting director recommended him to David Lynch and Mark Frost, the show’s creators. “I met with them,” he says, “and then I worked with David on the part. David is very down-to-earth. He really isn’t weird.”

Born in San Diego, Ashbrook grew up in an acting family. His father is a college drama professor, and his mother and two older sisters are actresses. Ashbrook moved to Los Angeles four years ago, two weeks after graduating from high school to seek his fame and fortune in Hollywood.

He had some lean times, though, before getting acting jobs. “I sold hosiery at Robinson’s,” he recalls with a smile. “A friend who owned an exercise store gave me a reference. I had never had a job, but I did know hosiery. It was funny, the reactions I would get. Women would ask, ‘Is there anyone else in the department?’ I would say, ‘No, honey, it’s just me. What do you need, babe?’ ”