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Troy Donahue

Acting 65 (deceased) years old New York City, New York, U.S. ★ 1.2
Born: January 27, 1936
Died: September 2, 2001

Biography

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.

External Links

🎬 IMDb

Known For

The Godfather Part II
The Godfather Part II Merle Johnson 1974
Cry-Baby
Cry-Baby Hatchet's Father 1990
Outrage
Outrage Daniel 1977
The Godfather: The Complete Epic 1901–1959
The Godfather: The Complete Epic 1901–1959 Merle Johnson 2016
A Summer Place
A Summer Place Johnny Hunter 1959

Jimmy's Seen (1)

New Jack City
New Jack City Buzz Travis 1991

Filmography

Acting Credits (102)

The Godfather: The Complete Epic 1901–1959
The Godfather: The Complete Epic 1901–1959 Merle Johnson 2016
The Boys Behind the Desk
The Boys Behind the Desk 2000
Legion
Legion Flemming 1998
Merchants of Venus
Merchants of Venus FBI Agent 1998
Bimbo Movie Bash
Bimbo Movie Bash Dr. Ackerman (archive footage) 1997
Showdown
Showdown Police Captain 1993
The Pamela Principle
The Pamela Principle Troy 1992
Double Trouble
Double Trouble Leonard 1992
Shake, Rattle and Roll: An American Love Story
Shake, Rattle and Roll: An American Love Story Rob Kamen 1991
Deadly Diamonds
Deadly Diamonds Matt Plimpton 1991
Shock 'Em Dead
Shock 'Em Dead Record Exec 1991
Nudity Required
Nudity Required Jack 1990
Sexpot
Sexpot Phillip 1990
Omega Cop
Omega Cop Slim 1990
Cry-Baby
Cry-Baby Hatchet's Father 1990
Click: The Calendar Girl Killer
Click: The Calendar Girl Killer Alan 1990
The Platinum Triangle
The Platinum Triangle Harold Farber 1989
Hot Times at Montclair High
Hot Times at Montclair High Mr. Nichols 1989
Dr. Alien
Dr. Alien Dr. Ackerman 1989
Assault of the Party Nerds
Assault of the Party Nerds Sid Witherspoon 1989
Terminal Force
Terminal Force Slim 1989
Blood Nasty
Blood Nasty Barry Hefna 1989
Sounds of Silence
Sounds of Silence Larry Haughton 1989
American Rampage
American Rampage Police Psychiatrist 1989
The Chilling
The Chilling Dr. Miller 1989
Deadly Spygames
Deadly Spygames Python 1989
Hawkeye
Hawkeye Mayor 1988
Bad Blood
Bad Blood Jack Barnes 1988
Monsters
Monsters Dr. Thomas Becker 1988
Hard Rock Nightmare
Hard Rock Nightmare Uncle Gary 1988
Deadly Prey
Deadly Prey Don Michaelson 1987
Hollywood Cop
Hollywood Cop Lt Maxwell 1987
The Drifting Classroom
The Drifting Classroom Taggart 1987
Cyclone
Cyclone Bob Jenkins 1987
Fight to Win
Fight to Win Rosenberg 1987
Low Blow
Low Blow John Templeton 1986
Grandview, U.S.A.
Grandview, U.S.A. Donny Vinton 1984
Lover, Come Back to Me
Lover, Come Back to Me 1983
Malibu
Malibu Clint Redman 1983
Tin Man
Tin Man Lester 1983
Matt Houston
Matt Houston 1982
Vega$
Vega$ 1978
The Eddie Capra Mysteries
The Eddie Capra Mysteries 1978
Fantasy Island
Fantasy Island Jack Terry 1978
Mario Puzo's The Godfather: The Complete Novel for Television
Mario Puzo's The Godfather: The Complete Novel for Television Merle Johnson 1977
Outrage
Outrage Daniel 1977
The Love Boat
The Love Boat Mr. Clark 1977
CHiPs
CHiPs 1977
The Legend of Frank Woods
The Legend of Frank Woods Sheriff John Baxom 1977
The Hardy Boys / Nancy Drew Mysteries
The Hardy Boys / Nancy Drew Mysteries 1977
Bob Hope's World of Comedy
Bob Hope's World of Comedy Self (archive footage) 1976
Laverne & Shirley
Laverne & Shirley 1976
Ellery Queen
Ellery Queen Gilbert Mallory 1975
The Godfather Part II
The Godfather Part II Merle Johnson 1974
Seizure
Seizure Mark Frost 1974
South Seas
South Seas Steve 1974
Cockfighter
Cockfighter Randall Mansfield 1974
Sweet Savior
Sweet Savior Moon 1971
The Phantom Gunslinger
The Phantom Gunslinger Bill 1970
The Lonely Profession
The Lonely Profession Julian Thatcher 1969
Split Second to an Epitaph
Split Second to an Epitaph Father Dugan 1968
The Name of the Game
The Name of the Game Norman Hoak 1968
Jules Verne's Rocket to the Moon
Jules Verne's Rocket to the Moon Gaylord Sullivan 1967
Mondo Hollywood
Mondo Hollywood 1967
Ironside
Ironside Father Dugan 1967
Come Spy with Me
Come Spy with Me Jill Parsons 1967
My Blood Runs Cold
My Blood Runs Cold Ben Gunther 1965
A Distant Trumpet
A Distant Trumpet 2nd Lt. Matthew 'Matt' Hazard 1964
Palm Springs Weekend
Palm Springs Weekend Jim Munroe 1963
The Patty Duke Show
The Patty Duke Show 1963
Rome Adventure
Rome Adventure Don Porter 1962
The Mike Douglas Show
The Mike Douglas Show Self 1961
Susan Slade
Susan Slade Hoyt Brecker 1961
Parrish
Parrish Parrish McLean 1961
Surfside 6
Surfside 6 Sandy Winfield II 1960
The Crowded Sky
The Crowded Sky McVey 1960
A Summer Place
A Summer Place Johnny Hunter 1959
Hawaiian Eye
Hawaiian Eye 1959
Bourbon Street Beat
Bourbon Street Beat Man on Phone (voice) 1959
The Alaskans
The Alaskans 1959
Imitation of Life
Imitation of Life Frankie 1959
Rawhide
Rawhide Buzz Travis 1959
The Perfect Furlough
The Perfect Furlough Sgt. Nickles 1958
Monster on the Campus
Monster on the Campus Jimmy Flanders 1958
77 Sunset Strip
77 Sunset Strip 1958
77 Sunset Strip
77 Sunset Strip Sandy Winfield II 1958
Bronco
Bronco 1958
Voice in the Mirror
Voice in the Mirror Paul Cunningham 1958
Wild Heritage
Wild Heritage Jesse Bascomb 1958
This Happy Feeling
This Happy Feeling Tony Manza 1958
Live Fast, Die Young
Live Fast, Die Young Artie Sanders / Artie Smith 1958
Summer Love
Summer Love Sax Lewis 1958
The Monolith Monsters
The Monolith Monsters Hank Jackson 1957
The Tarnished Angels
The Tarnished Angels Frank Burnham 1957
Maverick
Maverick Dan Jamison 1957
Sugarfoot
Sugarfoot Ken Savage 1957
Man of a Thousand Faces
Man of a Thousand Faces Assistant Director (uncredited) 1957
Man Afraid
Man Afraid Reporter (uncredited) 1957
The Bob Hope Show
The Bob Hope Show Self 1950
The Ed Sullivan Show
The Ed Sullivan Show Self 1948
Golden Globe Awards
Golden Globe Awards Self - Nominee 1944
Golden Globe Awards
Golden Globe Awards Self - Winner 1944

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