Troy Donahue
Born
January 27, 1936
Died
September 2, 2001 (65 years old)
Known For
Acting
Place of Birth
New York City, New York, U.S.
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.
The Boys Behind the Desk
2000
Legion
Flemming
1998
Merchants of Venus
FBI Agent
1998
Bimbo Movie Bash
Dr. Ackerman (archive footage)
1997
Showdown
Police Captain
1993
The Pamela Principle
Troy
1992
Double Trouble
Leonard
1992
Shake, Rattle and Roll: An American Love Story
Rob Kamen · (2 episodes)
1991
Deadly Diamonds
Matt Plimpton
1991
Shock 'Em Dead
Record Exec
1991
Nudity Required
Jack
1990
Sexpot
Phillip
1990
Omega Cop
Slim
1990
Cry-Baby
Hatchet's Father
1990
Click: The Calendar Girl Killer
Alan
1990
The Platinum Triangle
Harold Farber
1989
Hot Times at Montclair High
Mr. Nichols
1989
Dr. Alien
Dr. Ackerman
1989
Assault of the Party Nerds
Sid Witherspoon
1989
Terminal Force
Slim
1989
Blood Nasty
Barry Hefna
1989
Sounds of Silence
Larry Haughton
1989
American Rampage
Police Psychiatrist
1989
The Chilling
Dr. Miller
1989
Deadly Spygames
Python
1989
Hawkeye
Mayor
1988
Bad Blood
Jack Barnes
1988
Monsters
(1 episode)
1988
Hard Rock Nightmare
Uncle Gary
1988
Deadly Prey
Don Michaelson
1987
Hollywood Cop
Lt Maxwell
1987
The Drifting Classroom
Taggart
1987
Cyclone
Bob Jenkins
1987
Fight to Win
Rosenberg
1987
Low Blow
John Templeton
1986
Grandview, U.S.A.
Donny Vinton
1984
Lover, Come Back to Me
1983
Malibu
Clint Redman
1983
Tin Man
Lester
1983
Matt Houston
(1 episode)
1982
The Godfather 1901–1959: The Complete Epic
Merle Johnson
1981
Vega$
(1 episode)
1978
The Eddie Capra Mysteries
(1 episode)
1978
Mario Puzo's The Godfather: The Complete Novel for Television
Merle Johnson · (4 episodes)
1977
Outrage
Daniel
1977
The Love Boat
Mr. Clark · (1 episode)
1977
CHiPs
(1 episode)
1977
The Legend of Frank Woods
Sheriff John Baxom
1977
The Hardy Boys / Nancy Drew Mysteries
(1 episode)
1977
Laverne & Shirley
(1 episode)
1976
Ellery Queen
Gilbert Mallory · (1 episode)
1975
The Godfather Part II
Merle Johnson
1974
Seizure
Mark Frost
1974
South Seas
Steve
1974
Cockfighter
Randall Mansfield
1974
Sweet Savior
Moon
1971
The Phantom Gunslinger
Bill
1970
The Lonely Profession
Julian Thatcher
1969
Split Second to an Epitaph
Father Dugan
1968
The Name of the Game
Norman Hoak · (1 episode)
1968
Jules Verne's Rocket to the Moon
Gaylord Sullivan
1967
Ironside
Father Dugan · (1 episode)
1967
Come Spy with Me
Jill Parsons
1967
My Blood Runs Cold
Ben Gunther
1965
A Distant Trumpet
2nd Lt. Matthew 'Matt' Hazard
1964
Palm Springs Weekend
Jim Munroe
1963
The Patty Duke Show
(1 episode)
1963
Rome Adventure
Don Porter
1962
The Mike Douglas Show
Self · (1 episode)
1961
Susan Slade
Hoyt Brecker
1961
Parrish
Parrish McLean
1961
Surfside 6
Sandy Winfield II · (74 episodes)
1960
The Crowded Sky
McVey
1960
A Summer Place
Johnny Hunter
1959
Hawaiian Eye
(24 episodes)
1959
Bourbon Street Beat
Man on Phone (voice) · (1 episode)
1959
The Alaskans
(1 episode)
1959
Imitation of Life
Frankie
1959
Rawhide
Buzz Travis · (1 episode)
1959
Monster on the Campus
Jimmy Flanders
1958
The Perfect Furlough
Sgt. Nickles
1958
77 Sunset Strip
(1 episode)
1958
77 Sunset Strip
Sandy Winfield II · (1 episode)
1958
Bronco
(2 episodes)
1958
Voice in the Mirror
Paul Cunningham
1958
Wild Heritage
Jesse Bascomb
1958
This Happy Feeling
Tony Manza
1958
Live Fast, Die Young
Artie Sanders / Artie Smith
1958
Summer Love
Sax Lewis
1958
The Monolith Monsters
Hank Jackson
1957
The Tarnished Angels
Frank Burnham
1957
Maverick
Dan Jamison · (1 episode)
1957
Sugarfoot
Ken Savage · (1 episode)
1957
Man of a Thousand Faces
Assistant Director (uncredited)
1957
Man Afraid
Reporter (uncredited)
1957
The Bob Hope Show
Self · (1 episode)
1950
The Ed Sullivan Show
Self · (1 episode)
1948
Golden Globe Awards
Self - Winner · (1 episode)
1944