Lynne Ashe

Lynne Ashe is an American actress known for portraying memorable character roles in film, television, and stage. Born in Gainesville, Georgia, she built her career playing authentic, relatable women with warmth, humor, and emotional depth.

Her screen credits include The Suicide Squad, I Tonya, Office Christmas Party, Wild Oats, and One of These Days, with appearances in acclaimed television series including Stargirl, Dopesick, Stranger Things, Doom Patrol, The Big Door Prize, and Will Trent. Whether in comedy or drama, Ashe has developed a reputation for bringing humanity and nuance to supporting characters that leave a lasting impression.

Lynne knew by the age of four that she wanted to be both an actor and a writer. Around age 8, she was distressed to learn that the stage name she had picked for herself (Debbie Reynolds) was already taken. Lynne is primarily of Irish and English descent, with rumors that she is very distantly linked to Thomas Ashe, one of the first settlers in Ireland in the 1500s, who in turn is very distantly related to the current monarch. But that's too much genealogy research to prove or disprove, so she's happy just to entertain the idea as a possibility.

Lynne received a BA in Theatre Arts from Brenau University and received a graduate assistantship in Wake Forest University's MA Theatre program. It was at Wake Forest that she studied under professor James Dodding (whose former students also include Tom Baker, David Bowie, Tom Hulce, and Gary Oldman) and developed a passion for Shakespeare and British Restoration Theatre. Dodding encouraged her to apply for (and she received) a grant to study for a summer at The Shakespeare Institute in Stratford-upon Avon.

Lynne is also an accomplished writer and has several screenplays in the works, including the drama Scuppernongs, which has won or placed as finalist in over a dozen screen festivals, including Portland Screenplay Awards, Women Who Write in Film, Australia Independent Film Festival, and Louisville's International Festival of Film. It received an 8.0 recommended read on The Blacklist, whose reviewer described it as "a moody, atmospheric, and provocative hybrid of modern coming-of-age film and classic, mystery-shrouded melodrama, evoking a rich Southern American Gothic sensibility."

In addition to acting and writing, Lynne is a jewelry designer, creating handcrafted artisan jewelry through her Etsy shop, Ashelyn Designs.

She is also an advocate for greater awareness of Lipedema, using her platform to educate others about the often misunderstood condition and to encourage early diagnosis and treatment.

While she suffered with Lipedema since age 10, she was not diagnosed until 2010. Prior to this, she did not pursue film due to her appearance. She realized "You have to own it and release any shame associated with looking different and just be who you are." Ashe states that since beginning to work on screen, she has been contacted by numerous women who also suffer with lipedema who say that they feel more accepted and validated by seeing someone who looks much like themselves gaining success and not allowing the condition to squelch their identity.

Lynne learned one is never too old to reach for your dreams.