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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.
Bio
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
0.0
2000
Legion
Flemming
3.4
1998
Merchants of Venus
FBI Agent
6.8
1998
Bimbo Movie Bash
Dr. Ackerman (archive footage)
3.2
1997
Showdown
Police Captain
4.4
1993
The Pamela Principle
Troy
4.6
1992
Double Trouble
Leonard
4.8
1992
Shake, Rattle and Roll: An American Love Story
Rob Kamen · (2 episodes)
0.0
1991
Deadly Diamonds
Matt Plimpton
1.0
1991
Shock 'Em Dead
Record Exec
4.2
1991
Nudity Required
Jack
4.2
1990
Sexpot
Phillip
1.0
1990
Omega Cop
Slim
2.8
1990
Cry-Baby
Hatchet's Father
6.5
1990
Click: The Calendar Girl Killer
Alan
3.7
1990
The Platinum Triangle
Harold Farber
6.7
1989
Hot Times at Montclair High
Mr. Nichols
3.9
1989
Dr. Alien
Dr. Ackerman
4.9
1989
Assault of the Party Nerds
Sid Witherspoon
3.8
1989
Terminal Force
Slim
3.8
1989
Blood Nasty
Barry Hefna
2.8
1989
Sounds of Silence
Larry Haughton
4.9
1989
American Rampage
Police Psychiatrist
3.7
1989
The Chilling
Dr. Miller
4.0
1989
Deadly Spygames
Python
1.5
1989
Hawkeye
Mayor
4.5
1988
Bad Blood
Jack Barnes
4.5
1988
Monsters
(1 episode)
7.0
1988
Hard Rock Nightmare
Uncle Gary
5.0
1988
Deadly Prey
Don Michaelson
4.9
1987
Hollywood Cop
Lt Maxwell
4.6
1987
The Drifting Classroom
Taggart
4.9
1987
Cyclone
Bob Jenkins
4.1
1987
Fight to Win
Rosenberg
5.8
1987
Low Blow
John Templeton
5.3
1986
Grandview, U.S.A.
Donny Vinton
5.9
1984
Katy Caterpillar
Gilbert (voice, English version)
6.2
1984
Lover, Come Back to Me
0.0
1983
Malibu
Clint Redman
3.0
1983
Tin Man
Lester
3.3
1983
Matt Houston
(1 episode)
6.2
1982
The Godfather 1901–1959: The Complete Epic
Merle Johnson
9.3
1981
Vega$
(1 episode)
7.0
1978
The Eddie Capra Mysteries
(1 episode)
5.0
1978
Mario Puzo's The Godfather: The Complete Novel for Television
Merle Johnson · (4 episodes)
8.6
1977
Outrage
Daniel
4.5
1977
The Love Boat
Mr. Clark · (1 episode)
6.3
1977
CHiPs
(1 episode)
6.8
1977
The Legend of Frank Woods
Sheriff John Baxom
0.0
1977
The Hardy Boys / Nancy Drew Mysteries
(1 episode)
7.0
1977
Laverne & Shirley
(1 episode)
7.2
1976
Ellery Queen
Gilbert Mallory · (1 episode)
7.4
1975
The Godfather Part II
Merle Johnson
8.6
1974
Seizure
Mark Frost
5.1
1974
South Seas
Steve
0.0
1974
Cockfighter
Randall Mansfield
6.0
1974
Sweet Savior
Moon
4.3
1971
The Phantom Gunslinger
Bill
4.6
1970
The Lonely Profession
Julian Thatcher
0.0
1969
Split Second to an Epitaph
Father Dugan
0.0
1968
The Name of the Game
Norman Hoak · (1 episode)
6.8
1968
Jules Verne's Rocket to the Moon
Gaylord Sullivan
5.5
1967
Ironside
Father Dugan · (1 episode)
6.8
1967
Come Spy with Me
Jill Parsons
0.0
1967
My Blood Runs Cold
Ben Gunther
4.5
1965
A Distant Trumpet
2nd Lt. Matthew 'Matt' Hazard
5.3
1964
Palm Springs Weekend
Jim Munroe
5.0
1963
The Patty Duke Show
(1 episode)
5.8
1963
Rome Adventure
Don Porter
5.4
1962
Susan Slade
Hoyt Brecker
5.8
1961
Parrish
Parrish McLean
5.4
1961
Surfside 6
Sandy Winfield II · (74 episodes)
5.0
1960
The Crowded Sky
McVey
5.6
1960
A Summer Place
Johnny Hunter
6.5
1959
Hawaiian Eye
(24 episodes)
5.2
1959
Bourbon Street Beat
Man on Phone (voice) · (1 episode)
5.0
1959
The Alaskans
(1 episode)
5.5
1959
Imitation of Life
Frankie
7.4
1959
Rawhide
Buzz Travis · (1 episode)
7.2
1959
Monster on the Campus
Jimmy Flanders
6.1
1958
The Perfect Furlough
Sgt. Nickles
7.1
1958
77 Sunset Strip
(1 episode)
6.7
1958
77 Sunset Strip
Sandy Winfield II · (1 episode)
6.7
1958
Bronco
(2 episodes)
5.2
1958
Voice in the Mirror
Paul Cunningham
5.8
1958
Wild Heritage
Jesse Bascomb
4.5
1958
This Happy Feeling
Tony Manza
3.8
1958
Live Fast, Die Young
Artie Sanders / Artie Smith
5.7
1958
Summer Love
Sax Lewis
5.0
1958
The Monolith Monsters
Hank Jackson
6.5
1957
The Tarnished Angels
Frank Burnham
6.7
1957
Maverick
Dan Jamison · (1 episode)
6.8
1957
Sugarfoot
Ken Savage · (1 episode)
4.8
1957
Man of a Thousand Faces
Assistant Director (uncredited)
6.7
1957
Man Afraid
Reporter (uncredited)
5.8
1957
The Bob Hope Show
Self · (1 episode)
7.0
1950
The Ed Sullivan Show
Self · (1 episode)
6.6
1948
Golden Globe Awards
Self - Winner · (1 episode)
6.8
1944