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