1936-01-27 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.
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The Boys Behind the Desk | 2000-01-01 | |
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Merchants of Venus | FBI Agent | 1998-03-01 |
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Legion | Flemming | 1998-04-18 |
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Bimbo Movie Bash | Dr. Ackerman (archive footage) | 1997-06-24 |
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Showdown | Police Captain | 1993-10-27 |
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The Pamela Principle | Troy | 1992-11-11 |
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Double Trouble | Leonard | 1992-02-14 |
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Deadly Diamonds | Matt Plimpton | 1991-03-01 |
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Shock 'Em Dead | Record Exec | 1991-01-31 |
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Sexpot | Phillip | 1990-10-31 |
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Omega Cop | Slim | 1990-07-19 |
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Cry-Baby | Hatchet's Father | 1990-04-06 |
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Click: The Calendar Girl Killer | Alan | 1990-03-01 |
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Nudity Required | Jack | 1990-12-04 |
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Assault of the Party Nerds | Sid Witherspoon | 1989-08-03 |
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Blood Nasty | Barry Hefna | 1989-05-01 |
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Hot Times at Montclair High | Mr. Nichols | 1989-11-08 |
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American Rampage | Police Psychiatrist | 1989-01-23 |
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Sounds of Silence | Larry Haughton | 1989-05-01 |
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Deadly Spygames | Python | 1989-01-01 |
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The Platinum Triangle | Harold Farber | 1989-12-16 |
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Dr. Alien | Dr. Ackerman | 1989-10-12 |
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The Chilling | Dr. Miller | 1989-01-01 |
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Terminal Force | Slim | 1989-08-01 |
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Bad Blood | Jack Barnes | 1988-10-26 |
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Hard Rock Nightmare | Uncle Gary | 1988-01-01 |
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Hawkeye | Mayor | 1988-12-01 |
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Fight to Win | Rosenberg | 1987-03-17 |
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Cyclone | Bob Jenkins | 1987-06-05 |
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Hollywood Cop | Lt Maxwell | 1987-09-22 |
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漂流教室 | Taggart | 1987-07-11 |
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Deadly Prey | Don Michaelson | 1987-11-02 |
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Low Blow | John Templeton | 1986-04-01 |
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Katy, la oruga | Gilbert (voice, English version) | 1984-07-05 |
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Grandview, U.S.A. | Donny Vinton | 1984-08-03 |
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Tin Man | Lester | 1983-01-01 |
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Malibu | Clint Redman | 1983-01-23 |
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恋人よ、われに帰れ | 1983-09-23 | |
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The Godfather 1901–1959: The Complete Epic | Merle Johnson | 1981-03-24 |
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The Legend of Frank Woods | Sheriff John Baxom | 1977-04-30 |
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Ultraje | Daniel | 1977-11-10 |
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Seizure | Mark Frost | 1974-11-15 |
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Cockfighter | Randall Mansfield | 1974-08-01 |
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South Seas | Steve | 1974-09-19 |
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The Godfather Part II | Merle Johnson | 1974-12-20 |
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Sweet Savior | Moon | 1971-09-01 |
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The Phantom Gunslinger | Bill | 1970-04-30 |
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The Lonely Profession | Julian Thatcher | 1969-10-21 |
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Split Second to an Epitaph | Father Dugan | 1968-09-26 |
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Come Spy with Me | Jill Parsons | 1967-01-18 |
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Jules Verne's Rocket to the Moon | Gaylord Sullivan | 1967-07-13 |
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My Blood Runs Cold | Ben Gunther | 1965-03-24 |
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A Distant Trumpet | 2nd Lt. Matthew 'Matt' Hazard | 1964-05-20 |
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Palm Springs Weekend | Jim Munroe | 1963-11-05 |
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Rome Adventure | Don Porter | 1962-04-21 |
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Parrish | Parrish McLean | 1961-05-04 |
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Susan Slade | Hoyt Brecker | 1961-11-08 |
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The Crowded Sky | McVey | 1960-09-02 |
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Imitation of Life | Frankie | 1959-06-26 |
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A Summer Place | Johnny Hunter | 1959-11-18 |
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Wild Heritage | Jesse Bascomb | 1958-07-23 |
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Summer Love | Sax Lewis | 1958-03-10 |
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This Happy Feeling | Tony Manza | 1958-06-18 |
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Voice in the Mirror | Paul Cunningham | 1958-08-13 |
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The Perfect Furlough | Sgt. Nickles | 1958-11-30 |
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Live Fast, Die Young | Artie Sanders / Artie Smith | 1958-04-01 |
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Monster on the Campus | Jimmy Flanders | 1958-12-17 |
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The Tarnished Angels | Frank Burnham | 1957-11-21 |
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Man of a Thousand Faces | Assistant Director (uncredited) | 1957-08-15 |
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Man Afraid | Reporter (uncredited) | 1957-04-04 |
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The Monolith Monsters | Hank Jackson | 1957-12-01 |
