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Troy Donahue‌

Gender

Male

Birthday

calendar1936-01-27

Popularity

star6.4

Troy Donahue

New York City, New York, U.S.

Troy Donahue

New York City, New York, U.S.

Gender

Male

Birthday

calendar1936-01-27

Popularity

star6.4

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.

Movie Credits

Assault of the Party Nerds

Assault of the Party Nerds‌
star3.5
calendar 1989

Deadly Prey

Deadly Prey‌
star4.8
calendar 1987

The Godfather 1901–1959: The Complete Epic

The Godfather 1901–1959: The Complete Epic‌
star9.3
calendar 1981

Imitation of Life

Imitation of Life‌
star7.4
calendar 1959

Cockfighter

Cockfighter‌
star6.0
calendar 1974

Blood Nasty

Blood Nasty‌
star2.8
calendar 1989

Monster on the Campus

Monster on the Campus‌
star6.1
calendar 1958

American Rampage

American Rampage‌
star3.8
calendar 1989

Parrish

Parrish‌
star5.4
calendar 1961

Sweet Savior

Sweet Savior‌
star4.3
calendar 1971

Seizure

Seizure‌
star5.1
calendar 1974

The Chilling

The Chilling‌
star4.0
calendar 1989

Palm Springs Weekend

Palm Springs Weekend‌
star4.9
calendar 1963

The Tarnished Angels

The Tarnished Angels‌
star6.6
calendar 1957

Jules Verne's Rocket to the Moon

Jules Verne's Rocket to the Moon‌
star5.6
calendar 1967

Terminal Force

Terminal Force‌
star3.8
calendar 1989

A Summer Place

A Summer Place‌
star6.5
calendar 1959

Low Blow

Low Blow‌
star5.3
calendar 1986

A Distant Trumpet

A Distant Trumpet‌
star5.2
calendar 1964

Voice in the Mirror

Voice in the Mirror‌
star5.8
calendar 1958

Cyclone

Cyclone‌
star4.1
calendar 1987

Horrible Horror

Horrible Horror‌
star7.0
calendar 1986

Grandview, U.S.A.

Grandview, U.S.A.‌
star5.9
calendar 1984

Omega Cop

Omega Cop‌
star2.9
calendar 1990

Susan Slade

Susan Slade‌
star5.8
calendar 1961

The Crowded Sky

The Crowded Sky‌
star5.6
calendar 1960

Rome Adventure

Rome Adventure‌
star5.4
calendar 1962

Katy Caterpillar

Katy Caterpillar‌
star6.2
calendar 1984

Hard Rock Nightmare

Hard Rock Nightmare‌
star4.9
calendar 1988

Bad Blood

Bad Blood‌
star4.5
calendar 1988

This Happy Feeling

This Happy Feeling‌
star3.7
calendar 1958

Hot Times at Montclair High

Hot Times at Montclair High‌
star3.9
calendar 1989

My Blood Runs Cold

My Blood Runs Cold‌
star4.5
calendar 1965

Nudity Required

Nudity Required‌
star4.2
calendar 1990

Summer Love

Summer Love‌
star5.0
calendar 1958

Fight to Win

Fight to Win‌
star6.5
calendar 1987

Wild Heritage

Wild Heritage‌
star4.5
calendar 1958

The Perfect Furlough

The Perfect Furlough‌
star7.1
calendar 1958

Man Afraid

Man Afraid‌
star6.3
calendar 1957

Hollywood Cop

Hollywood Cop‌
star4.6
calendar 1987

Click: The Calendar Girl Killer

Click: The Calendar Girl Killer‌
star3.6
calendar 1990

The Boys Behind the Desk

The Boys Behind the Desk‌
star0.0
calendar 2000

Live Fast, Die Young

Live Fast, Die Young‌
star5.7
calendar 1958

Come Spy with Me

Come Spy with Me‌
star0.0
calendar 1967

Dr. Alien

Dr. Alien‌
star5.1
calendar 1989

Legion

Legion‌
star3.7
calendar 1998

Shock 'Em Dead

Shock 'Em Dead‌
star4.2
calendar 1991

Showdown

Showdown‌
star4.7
calendar 1993

Tin Man

Tin Man‌
star3.3
calendar 1983

The Monolith Monsters

The Monolith Monsters‌
star6.6
calendar 1957

The Godfather Part II

The Godfather Part II‌
star8.6
calendar 1974

Hawkeye

Hawkeye‌
star4.3
calendar 1988

The Phantom Gunslinger

The Phantom Gunslinger‌
star4.6
calendar 1970

Double Trouble

Double Trouble‌
star4.7
calendar 1992

Shake, Rattle and Roll: An American Love Story

Shake, Rattle and Roll: An American Love Story‌
star4.0
calendar 1999

South Seas

South Seas‌
star0.0
calendar 1974

The Drifting Classroom

The Drifting Classroom‌
star4.9
calendar 1987

The Platinum Triangle

The Platinum Triangle‌
star6.7
calendar 1989

Sexpot

Sexpot‌
star1.0
calendar 1990

The Pamela Principle

The Pamela Principle‌
star4.6
calendar 1992

Deadly Diamonds

Deadly Diamonds‌
star1.0
calendar 1991

Merchants of Venus

Merchants of Venus‌
star7.2
calendar 1998

Bimbo Movie Bash

Bimbo Movie Bash‌
star2.9
calendar 1997

Outrage

Outrage‌
star4.5
calendar 1977

Deadly Spygames

Deadly Spygames‌
star0.0
calendar 1989

The Legend of Frank Woods

The Legend of Frank Woods‌
star0.0
calendar 1977

Malibu

Malibu‌
star3.0
calendar 1983

Man of a Thousand Faces

Man of a Thousand Faces‌
star6.7
calendar 1957

Cry-Baby

Cry-Baby‌
star6.5
calendar 1990

The Lonely Profession

The Lonely Profession‌
star0.0
calendar 1969

Sounds of Silence

Sounds of Silence‌
star4.9
calendar 1989

Split Second to an Epitaph

Split Second to an Epitaph‌
star0.0
calendar 1968

Lover, Come Back to Me

Lover, Come Back to Me‌
star0.0
calendar 1983

Tv Credits

CHiPs

CHiPs‌
star6.8
calendar 1977

77 Sunset Strip

77 Sunset Strip‌
star6.7
calendar 1958

The Hardy Boys / Nancy Drew Mysteries

The Hardy Boys / Nancy Drew Mysteries‌
star7.0
calendar 1977

Surfside 6

Surfside 6‌
star5.0
calendar 1960

Laverne & Shirley

Laverne & Shirley‌
star7.2
calendar 1976

Hawaiian Eye

Hawaiian Eye‌
star5.0
calendar 1959

Monsters

Monsters‌
star6.8
calendar 1988

Rawhide

Rawhide‌
star7.0
calendar 1959

Vega$

Vega$‌
star7.0
calendar 1978

Matt Houston

Matt Houston‌
star6.2
calendar 1982

The Patty Duke Show

The Patty Duke Show‌
star5.7
calendar 1963

Bronco

Bronco‌
star4.8
calendar 1958

The Alaskans

The Alaskans‌
star5.5
calendar 1959

Sugarfoot

Sugarfoot‌
star4.2
calendar 1957

The Eddie Capra Mysteries

The Eddie Capra Mysteries‌
star5.0
calendar 1978

Maverick

Maverick‌
star6.8
calendar 1957

Bourbon Street Beat

Bourbon Street Beat‌
star5.0
calendar 1959

The Bob Hope Show

The Bob Hope Show‌
star7.0
calendar 1950

The Name of the Game

The Name of the Game‌
star6.8
calendar 1968

Ellery Queen

Ellery Queen‌
star7.4
calendar 1975

Ironside

Ironside‌
star6.9
calendar 1967

77 Sunset Strip

77 Sunset Strip‌
star6.7
calendar 1958

The Love Boat

The Love Boat‌
star6.3
calendar 1977

The Ed Sullivan Show

The Ed Sullivan Show‌
star6.5
calendar 1948

Mario Puzo's The Godfather: The Complete Novel for Television

Mario Puzo's The Godfather: The Complete Novel for Television‌
star8.5
calendar 1977