65
Age
71
Movies
28
TV Shows
7.1
Rating
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.
65
Died at
71
Movies
28
TV Shows
7.1
Avg Rating
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.
1977
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.
Gender
Male
Birthday
January 27, 1936
Died
September 2, 2001
Birthplace
New York City, New York, U.S.
Also Known As
The Godfather Part II
1974
Terminal Force
1989
The Pamela Principle
1992
Wild Heritage
1958
Hollywood Cop
1987
Summer Love
1958
Merchants of Venus
1998
Lover, Come Back to Me
1983
The Drifting Classroom
1987
Tin Man
1983
The Legend of Frank Woods
1977
Dr. Alien
1989
Hawkeye
1988
Sounds of Silence
1989
Fight to Win
1987
The Platinum Triangle
1989
Monster on the Campus
1958
Cyclone
1987
Deadly Prey
1987
The Perfect Furlough
1958
+ 51 more movies
The Mike Douglas Show
1961
The Love Boat
1977
Golden Globe Awards
1944
Ironside
1967
Maverick
1957
Laverne & Shirley
1976
Rawhide
1959
The Bob Hope Show
1950
Surfside 6
1960
77 Sunset Strip
1958
77 Sunset Strip
1958
Vega$
1978
The Ed Sullivan Show
1948
The Name of the Game
1968
Matt Houston
1982
The Hardy Boys / Nancy Drew Mysteries
1977
Hawaiian Eye
1959
Sugarfoot
1957
Bronco
1958
Monsters
1988
+ 8 more TV shows