Troy Donahue

Birthday: 1936-01-27
Deathday: 2001-09-02
Birthplace: New York City, New York, U.S.
Gender: Male
Owned By: Unowned

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.

Credits

Year Title Character
2000-01-01 The Boys Behind the Desk
1998-04-18 Legion Flemming
1998-03-01 Merchants of Venus FBI Agent
1993-10-27 Showdown Police Captain
1992-11-11 The Pamela Principle Troy
1992-02-14 Double Trouble Leonard
1991-03-01 Deadly Diamonds Matt Plimpton
1991-01-31 Shock 'Em Dead Record Exec
1990-12-04 Nudity Required Jack
1990-10-31 Sexpot Phillip
1990-07-19 Omega Cop Slim
1990-04-06 Cry-Baby Hatchet's Father
1990-03-01 Click: The Calendar Girl Killer Alan
1989-12-16 The Platinum Triangle Harold Farber
1989-11-08 Hot Times at Montclair High Mr. Nichols
1989-10-12 Dr. Alien Dr. Ackerman
1989-08-03 Assault of the Party Nerds Sid Witherspoon
1989-08-01 Terminal Force Slim
1989-05-01 Blood Nasty Barry Hefna
1989-05-01 Sounds of Silence Larry Haughton
1989-01-23 American Rampage Police Psychiatrist
1989-01-01 The Chilling Dr. Miller
1989-01-01 Deadly Spygames Python
1988-12-01 Hawkeye Mayor
1988-10-26 Bad Blood Jack Barnes
1988-01-01 Hard Rock Nightmare Uncle Gary
1987-11-02 Deadly Prey Don Michaelson
1987-09-22 Hollywood Cop Lt Maxwell
1987-07-11 The Drifting Classroom Taggart
1987-06-05 Cyclone Bob Jenkins
1987-03-17 Fight to Win Rosenberg
1986-04-01 Low Blow John Templeton
1984-08-03 Grandview, U.S.A. Donny Vinton
1984-07-05 Katy Caterpillar Gilbert (voice, English version)
1983-09-23 Lover, Come Back to Me
1983-01-23 Malibu Clint Redman
1983-01-01 Tin Man Lester
1981-03-24 The Godfather 1901–1959: The Complete Epic Merle Johnson
1977-11-10 Outrage Daniel
1977-04-30 The Legend of Frank Woods Sheriff John Baxom
1974-12-20 The Godfather Part II Merle Johnson
1974-11-15 Seizure Mark Frost
1974-09-19 South Seas Steve
1974-08-01 Cockfighter Randall Mansfield
1971-09-01 Sweet Savior Moon
1970-04-30 The Phantom Gunslinger Bill
1969-10-21 The Lonely Profession Julian Thatcher
1968-09-26 Split Second to an Epitaph Father Dugan
1967-07-13 Jules Verne's Rocket to the Moon Gaylord Sullivan
1967-01-18 Come Spy with Me Jill Parsons
1965-03-24 My Blood Runs Cold Ben Gunther
1964-05-20 A Distant Trumpet 2nd Lt. Matthew 'Matt' Hazard
1963-11-05 Palm Springs Weekend Jim Munroe
1962-04-21 Rome Adventure Don Porter
1961-11-08 Susan Slade Hoyt Brecker
1961-05-04 Parrish Parrish McLean
1960-09-02 The Crowded Sky McVey
1959-11-18 A Summer Place Johnny Hunter
1959-06-26 Imitation of Life Frankie
1958-12-17 Monster on the Campus Jimmy Flanders
1958-11-30 The Perfect Furlough Sgt. Nickles
1958-08-13 Voice in the Mirror Paul Cunningham
1958-07-23 Wild Heritage Jesse Bascomb
1958-06-18 This Happy Feeling Tony Manza
1958-04-01 Live Fast, Die Young Artie Sanders / Artie Smith
1958-03-10 Summer Love Sax Lewis
1957-12-01 The Monolith Monsters Hank Jackson
1957-11-21 The Tarnished Angels Frank Burnham
1957-08-15 Man of a Thousand Faces Assistant Director (uncredited)
1957-04-04 Man Afraid Reporter (uncredited)