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Troy Donahue

Troy Donahue

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.

Personal information

Birthday

1936-01-27

Birth Place

New York City, New York, U.S.

Movies and TV shows :

poster

77 Sunset Strip

1958

6.7

TV
A Distant Trumpet

A Distant Trumpet

1964

5.2

Movie
A Summer Place

A Summer Place

1959

6.5

Movie
American Rampage

American Rampage

1989

3.7

Movie
Assault of the Party Nerds

Assault of the Party Nerds

1989

3.5

Movie
Bad Blood

Bad Blood

1988

4.5

Movie
Bimbo Movie Bash

Bimbo Movie Bash

1997

3.2

Movie
Blood Nasty

Blood Nasty

1989

2.8

Movie
poster

Bourbon Street Beat

1959

5.0

TV
poster

Bronco

1958

4.8

TV
poster

CHiPs

1977

6.8

TV
Click: The Calendar Girl Killer

Click: The Calendar Girl Killer

1990

3.6

Movie
Cockfighter

Cockfighter

1974

6.0

Movie
Come Spy with Me

Come Spy with Me

1967

0.0

Movie
Cry-Baby

Cry-Baby

1990

6.5

Movie
Cyclone

Cyclone

1987

4.1

Movie
Deadly Diamonds

Deadly Diamonds

1991

1.0

Movie
Deadly Prey

Deadly Prey

1987

4.9

Movie
Deadly Spygames

Deadly Spygames

1989

1.5

Movie
Double Trouble

Double Trouble

1992

4.7

Movie
Dr. Alien

Dr. Alien

1989

4.9

Movie
poster

Ellery Queen

1975

7.4

TV
Fight to Win

Fight to Win

1987

5.8

Movie
Grandview, U.S.A.

Grandview, U.S.A.

1984

6.0

Movie
Hard Rock Nightmare

Hard Rock Nightmare

1988

5.0

Movie
poster

Hawaiian Eye

1959

5.2

TV
Hawkeye

Hawkeye

1988

4.5

Movie
Hollywood Cop

Hollywood Cop

1987

4.6

Movie
Hot Times at Montclair High

Hot Times at Montclair High

1989

3.9

Movie
Imitation of Life

Imitation of Life

1959

7.4

Movie
poster

Ironside

1967

6.9

TV
Jules Verne's Rocket to the Moon

Jules Verne's Rocket to the Moon

1967

5.6

Movie
Katy Caterpillar

Katy Caterpillar

1984

6.2

Movie
poster

Laverne & Shirley

1976

7.2

TV
Legion

Legion

1998

3.7

Movie
Live Fast, Die Young

Live Fast, Die Young

1958

5.7

Movie
Lover, Come Back to Me

Lover, Come Back to Me

1983

0.0

Movie
Low Blow

Low Blow

1986

5.3

Movie
Malibu

Malibu

1983

3.0

Movie
Man Afraid

Man Afraid

1957

5.8

Movie
Man of a Thousand Faces

Man of a Thousand Faces

1957

6.7

Movie
poster

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

1977

8.5

TV
poster

Matt Houston

1982

6.2

TV
poster

Maverick

1957

6.8

TV
Merchants of Venus

Merchants of Venus

1998

7.2

Movie
Monster on the Campus

Monster on the Campus

1958

6.1

Movie
poster

Monsters

1988

7.0

TV
My Blood Runs Cold

My Blood Runs Cold

1965

4.5

Movie
Nudity Required

Nudity Required

1990

4.2

Movie
Omega Cop

Omega Cop

1990

2.8

Movie
Outrage

Outrage

1977

4.5

Movie
Palm Springs Weekend

Palm Springs Weekend

1963

4.9

Movie
Parrish

Parrish

1961

5.4

Movie
poster

Rawhide

1959

7.1

TV
Rome Adventure

Rome Adventure

1962

5.4

Movie
Seizure

Seizure

1974

5.1

Movie
Sexpot

Sexpot

1990

1.0

Movie
poster

Shake, Rattle and Roll: An American Love Story

1991

0.0

TV
Shock 'Em Dead

Shock 'Em Dead

1991

4.2

Movie
Showdown

Showdown

1993

4.4

Movie
Sounds of Silence

Sounds of Silence

1989

4.9

Movie
South Seas

South Seas

1974

0.0

Movie
Split Second to an Epitaph

Split Second to an Epitaph

1968

0.0

Movie
poster

Sugarfoot

1957

4.8

TV
Summer Love

Summer Love

1958

5.0

Movie
poster

Surfside 6

1960

5.0

TV
Susan Slade

Susan Slade

1961

5.8

Movie
Sweet Savior

Sweet Savior

1971

4.3

Movie
Terminal Force

Terminal Force

1989

3.8

Movie
poster

The Alaskans

1959

5.5

TV
poster

The Bob Hope Show

1950

7.0

TV
The Boys Behind the Desk

The Boys Behind the Desk

2000

0.0

Movie
The Chilling

The Chilling

1989

4.0

Movie
The Crowded Sky

The Crowded Sky

1960

5.6

Movie
The Drifting Classroom

The Drifting Classroom

1987

4.9

Movie
poster

The Ed Sullivan Show

1948

6.6

TV
poster

The Eddie Capra Mysteries

1978

5.0

TV
The Godfather 1901–1959: The Complete Epic

The Godfather 1901–1959: The Complete Epic

1981

9.3

Movie
The Godfather Part II

The Godfather Part II

1974

8.6

Movie
poster

The Hardy Boys / Nancy Drew Mysteries

1977

7.0

TV
The Legend of Frank Woods

The Legend of Frank Woods

1977

0.0

Movie
The Lonely Profession

The Lonely Profession

1969

0.0

Movie
poster

The Love Boat

1977

6.3

TV
The Monolith Monsters

The Monolith Monsters

1957

6.5

Movie
poster

The Name of the Game

1968

6.8

TV
The Pamela Principle

The Pamela Principle

1992

4.6

Movie
poster

The Patty Duke Show

1963

5.7

TV
The Perfect Furlough

The Perfect Furlough

1958

7.1

Movie
The Phantom Gunslinger

The Phantom Gunslinger

1970

4.6

Movie
The Platinum Triangle

The Platinum Triangle

1989

6.7

Movie
The Tarnished Angels

The Tarnished Angels

1957

6.6

Movie
This Happy Feeling

This Happy Feeling

1958

3.8

Movie
Tin Man

Tin Man

1983

3.3

Movie
poster

Vega$

1978

7.0

TV
Voice in the Mirror

Voice in the Mirror

1958

5.8

Movie
Wild Heritage

Wild Heritage

1958

4.5

Movie