Troy Donahue

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.

Known For	Acting
Most Rating	35.586
Birthday	1936-01-27
Place of Birth	New York City, New York, U.S.
Also Known As	Merle Johnson Jr., Трой Донахʼю,

Assault of the Party Nerds

Deadly Prey

Imitation of Life

Blood Nasty

Cockfighter

Monster on the Campus

American Rampage

Parrish

Sweet Savior

Seizure

The Chilling

Palm Springs Weekend

The Tarnished Angels

Jules Verne's Rocket to the Moon

Terminal Force

A Summer Place

A Distant Trumpet

Low Blow

Voice in the Mirror

Cyclone

Grandview, U.S.A.

Omega Cop

Susan Slade

The Crowded Sky

Rome Adventure

Katy Caterpillar

Hollywood Cop

Hard Rock Nightmare

Bad Blood

This Happy Feeling

Hot Times at Montclair High

Nudity Required

Summer Love

The Perfect Furlough

Wild Heritage

Come Spy with Me

The Pamela Principle

Dr. Alien

Legion

Shock 'Em Dead

Showdown

Tin Man

The Monolith Monsters

The Godfather Part II

Fight to Win

Hawkeye

Click: The Calendar Girl Killer

Shake, Rattle and Roll: An American Love Story

Double Trouble

My Blood Runs Cold

South Seas

The Drifting Classroom

Sexpot

The Platinum Triangle

The Phantom Gunslinger

Deadly Diamonds

Merchants of Venus

Bimbo Movie Bash

Outrage

Deadly Spygames

The Legend of Frank Woods

Malibu

Man of a Thousand Faces

Cry-Baby

The Lonely Profession

Sounds of Silence

Split Second to an Epitaph

Lover, Come Back to Me

The Boys Behind the Desk

Live Fast, Die Young

The Godfather 1901–1959: The Complete Epic

Horrible Horror

Man Afraid