Troy Donahue
Acting
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.
Jules Verne's Rocket to the Moon
as Gaylord Sullivan
Age 31 (now 65)
The Godfather: The Complete Epic 1901–1959
as Merle Johnson
Age 79 (now 65)
Bob Hope's World of Comedy
as Self (archive footage)
Age 40 (now 65)
Jules Verne's Rocket to the Moon
as Gaylord Sullivan
Age 31 (now 65)
Man of a Thousand Faces
as Assistant Director (uncredited)
Age 21 (now 65)
Shake, Rattle and Roll: An American Love Story
as Rob Kamen
Age 55 (now 65)
Mario Puzo's The Godfather: The Complete Novel for Television
as Merle Johnson
Age 41 (now 65)
The Hardy Boys / Nancy Drew Mysteries
Gathering insights...
Also Known As
Merle Johnson Jr., Трой Донахʼю
IMDB
nm0001148