Troy Donahue (born Merle Johnson Jr., January 27, 1936 – September 2, 2001) was an American film and television actor and singer. He was a popular sex symbol in the 1950s and 1960s.
Troy Donahue (born Merle Johnson Jr., January 27, 1936 – September 2, 2001) was an American film and television actor and singer. He was a popular sex symbol in the 1950s and 1960s.
His father was Merle Johnson, the manager of the motion-picture department of General Motors. His mother, Edith Johnson, was a retired stage actress. Donahue attended a New York military academy, where he met Francis Ford Coppola. When Donahue was 18, he moved to New York and got a job as a messenger in a film company founded by his father. He was fired, he says, because he was too young to join the union. He attended Columbia University and studied journalism. He trained briefly with Ezra Stone, and then moved to Hollywood.
The big break of Donahue's career came when he was cast opposite Sandra Dee in A Summer Place, made by Warner Bros. in 1959. The director was Delmer Daves. Warner signed him to a long-term contract. They put him to work guest-starring in episodes of their Western TV series, such as Colt .45 (1959), Maverick (1959), Sugarfoot (1959), The Alaskans (1960), and Lawman (1960).
In 1968, Donahue signed a long-term contract with Universal Studios for films and TV. This lasted a year and saw him get four roles: guest shots on Ironside (1968), The Name of the Game (1968), and The Virginian (1969), and an appearance in the TV movie The Lonely Profession (1969).
Donahue declared bankruptcy in 1968 and eventually lost his home. In 1969, Donahue moved from Los Angeles to New York City. By this time, Donahue's drug addiction and alcoholism had ruined him financially. In May 1982, he joined Alcoholics Anonymous, which he credited for helping him achieve and maintain sobriety.
Donahue continued to act in films throughout the 1980s and into the late 1990s. Donahue's final film role was in the 2000 comedy film The Boys Behind the Desk, directed by Sally Kirkland.
On August 30, 2001, Donahue suffered a heart attack and was admitted to Saint John's Health Center in Santa Monica. He died three days later, on September 2, at the age of 65.
External links
IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/nm0001148
Wikipedia: https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q516035
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Filmography (Movies)
The Boys Behind the Desk
Character:
Release Date:01/01/2000
Legion
Character:Flemming
Release Date:18/04/1998
Merchants of Venus
Character:FBI Agent
Release Date:01/03/1998
Bimbo Movie Bash
Character:Dr. Ackerman (archive footage)
Release Date:24/06/1997
Showdown
Character:Police Captain
Release Date:27/10/1993
The Pamela Principle
Character:Troy
Release Date:11/11/1992
Double Trouble
Character:Leonard
Release Date:14/02/1992
Deadly Diamonds
Character:Matt Plimpton
Release Date:01/03/1991
Shock 'Em Dead
Character:Record Exec
Release Date:31/01/1991
Nudity Required
Character:Jack
Release Date:04/12/1990
Sexpot
Character:Phillip
Release Date:31/10/1990
Omega Cop
Character:Slim
Release Date:19/07/1990
Cry-Baby
Character:Hatchet's Father
Release Date:06/04/1990
Click: The Calendar Girl Killer
Character:Alan
Release Date:01/03/1990
The Platinum Triangle
Character:Harold Farber
Release Date:16/12/1989
Hot Times at Montclair High
Character:Mr. Nichols
Release Date:08/11/1989
Dr. Alien
Character:Dr. Ackerman
Release Date:12/10/1989
Assault of the Party Nerds
Character:Sid Witherspoon
Release Date:03/08/1989
Terminal Force
Character:Slim
Release Date:01/08/1989
Blood Nasty
Character:Barry Hefna
Release Date:01/05/1989
Sounds of Silence
Character:Larry Haughton
Release Date:01/05/1989
American Rampage
Character:Police Psychiatrist
Release Date:23/01/1989
The Chilling
Character:Dr. Miller
Release Date:01/01/1989
Deadly Spygames
Character:Python
Release Date:01/01/1989
Hawkeye
Character:Mayor
Release Date:01/12/1988
Bad Blood
Character:Jack Barnes
Release Date:26/10/1988
Hard Rock Nightmare
Character:Uncle Gary
Release Date:01/01/1988
Deadly Prey
Character:Don Michaelson
Release Date:02/11/1987
Hollywood Cop
Character:Lt Maxwell
Release Date:22/09/1987
The Drifting Classroom
Character:Taggart
Release Date:11/07/1987
Cyclone
Character:Bob Jenkins
Release Date:05/06/1987
Fight to Win
Character:Rosenberg
Release Date:17/03/1987
Low Blow
Character:John Templeton
Release Date:01/04/1986
Grandview, U.S.A.
Character:Donny Vinton
Release Date:03/08/1984
Lover, Come Back to Me
Character:
Release Date:23/09/1983
Malibu
Character:Clint Redman
Release Date:23/01/1983
Tin Man
Character:Lester
Release Date:01/01/1983
The Godfather: The Complete Epic 1901–1959
Character:Merle Johnson
Release Date:24/03/1981
Outrage
Character:Daniel
Release Date:10/11/1977
The Legend of Frank Woods
Character:Sheriff John Baxom
Release Date:30/04/1977
The Godfather Part II
Character:Merle Johnson
Release Date:20/12/1974
Seizure
Character:Mark Frost
Release Date:15/11/1974
South Seas
Character:Steve
Release Date:19/09/1974
Cockfighter
Character:Randall Mansfield
Release Date:01/08/1974
Sweet Savior
Character:Moon
Release Date:01/09/1971
The Phantom Gunslinger
Character:Bill
Release Date:30/04/1970
The Lonely Profession
Character:Julian Thatcher
Release Date:21/10/1969
Split Second to an Epitaph
Character:Father Dugan
Release Date:26/09/1968
Jules Verne's Rocket to the Moon
Character:Gaylord Sullivan
Release Date:13/07/1967
Come Spy with Me
Character:Jill Parsons
Release Date:18/01/1967
My Blood Runs Cold
Character:Ben Gunther
Release Date:24/03/1965
A Distant Trumpet
Character:2nd Lt. Matthew 'Matt' Hazard
Release Date:20/05/1964
Palm Springs Weekend
Character:Jim Munroe
Release Date:05/11/1963
Rome Adventure
Character:Don Porter
Release Date:21/04/1962
Susan Slade
Character:Hoyt Brecker
Release Date:08/11/1961
Parrish
Character:Parrish McLean
Release Date:04/05/1961
The Crowded Sky
Character:McVey
Release Date:02/09/1960
A Summer Place
Character:Johnny Hunter
Release Date:18/11/1959
Imitation of Life
Character:Frankie
Release Date:09/04/1959
The Perfect Furlough
Character:Sgt. Nickles
Release Date:30/11/1958
Monster on the Campus
Character:Jimmy Flanders
Release Date:15/10/1958
Voice in the Mirror
Character:Paul Cunningham
Release Date:13/08/1958
Wild Heritage
Character:Jesse Bascomb
Release Date:23/07/1958
This Happy Feeling
Character:Tony Manza
Release Date:18/06/1958
Live Fast, Die Young
Character:Artie Sanders / Artie Smith
Release Date:01/04/1958
Summer Love
Character:Sax Lewis
Release Date:10/03/1958
The Monolith Monsters
Character:Hank Jackson
Release Date:06/12/1957
The Tarnished Angels
Character:Frank Burnham
Release Date:21/11/1957
Man of a Thousand Faces
Character:Assistant Director (uncredited)
Release Date:15/08/1957
Man Afraid
Character:Reporter (uncredited)
Release Date:04/04/1957
Television Appearances
Shake, Rattle and Roll: An American Love Story
Character:Rob Kamen
Monsters
Character:
Matt Houston
Character:
Vega$
Character:
The Eddie Capra Mysteries
Character:
Mario Puzo's The Godfather: The Complete Novel for Television
Character:Merle Johnson
The Love Boat
Character:Mr. Clark
CHiPs
Character:
The Hardy Boys / Nancy Drew Mysteries
Character:
Laverne & Shirley
Character:
Ellery Queen
Character:Gilbert Mallory
The Name of the Game
Character:Norman Hoak
Ironside
Character:Father Dugan
The Patty Duke Show
Character:
The Mike Douglas Show
Character:Self
Surfside 6
Character:Sandy Winfield II
Hawaiian Eye
Character:
Bourbon Street Beat
Character:Man on Phone (voice)
The Alaskans
Character:
Rawhide
Character:Buzz Travis
77 Sunset Strip
Character:
77 Sunset Strip
Character:Sandy Winfield II
Bronco
Character:
Maverick
Character:Dan Jamison
Sugarfoot
Character:Ken Savage
The Bob Hope Show
Character:Self
The Ed Sullivan Show
Character:Self
Golden Globe Awards
Character:Self - Nominee
Images
