Acting
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.
Filmography
The Boys Behind the Desk
Film · 2000
Legion
Film · 1998
Merchants of Venus
Film · 1998
Bimbo Movie Bash
Film · 1997
Showdown
Film · 1993
Double Trouble
Film · 1992
The Pamela Principle
Film · 1992
The Godfather Trilogy: 1901-1980
Film · 1992
Shock 'Em Dead
Film · 1991
Deadly Diamonds
Film · 1991
Shake, Rattle and Roll: An American Love Story
Series · 1991
Omega Cop
Film · 1990
Nudity Required
Film · 1990
Click: The Calendar Girl Killer
Film · 1990
Sexpot
Film · 1990
Cry-Baby
Film · 1990
Assault of the Party Nerds
Film · 1989
Blood Nasty
Film · 1989
American Rampage
Film · 1989
The Chilling
Film · 1989
Terminal Force
Film · 1989
Hot Times at Montclair High
Film · 1989
Dr. Alien
Film · 1989
The Platinum Triangle
Film · 1989
Deadly Spygames
Film · 1989
Sounds of Silence
Film · 1989
Hard Rock Nightmare
Film · 1988
Bad Blood
Film · 1988
Hawkeye
Film · 1988
Monsters
Series · 1988
Deadly Prey
Film · 1987
Cyclone
Film · 1987
Fight to Win
Film · 1987
Hollywood Cop
Film · 1987
The Drifting Classroom
Film · 1987
Low Blow
Film · 1986
Grandview, U.S.A.
Film · 1984
Tin Man
Film · 1983
Malibu
Film · 1983
Lover, Come Back to Me
Film · 1983
Matt Houston
Series · 1982
Vega$
Series · 1978
The Eddie Capra Mysteries
Series · 1978
Fantasy Island
Series · 1978
Outrage
Film · 1977
The Legend of Frank Woods
Film · 1977
CHiPs
Series · 1977
The Hardy Boys / Nancy Drew Mysteries
Series · 1977
The Love Boat
Series · 1977
Mario Puzo's The Godfather: The Complete Novel for Television
Series · 1977
Bob Hope's World of Comedy
Film · 1976
Laverne & Shirley
Series · 1976
Ellery Queen
Series · 1975
Cockfighter
Film · 1974
Seizure
Film · 1974
The Godfather Part II
Film · 1974
South Seas
Film · 1974
Sweet Savior
Film · 1971
The Phantom Gunslinger
Film · 1970
The Lonely Profession
Film · 1969
Split Second to an Epitaph
Film · 1968
The Name of the Game
Series · 1968
Jules Verne's Rocket to the Moon
Film · 1967
Come Spy with Me
Film · 1967
Mondo Hollywood
Film · 1967
Ironside
Series · 1967
My Blood Runs Cold
Film · 1965
A Distant Trumpet
Film · 1964
Palm Springs Weekend
Film · 1963
The Patty Duke Show
Series · 1963
Rome Adventure
Film · 1962
Parrish
Film · 1961
Susan Slade
Film · 1961
The Mike Douglas Show
Series · 1961
The Crowded Sky
Film · 1960
Surfside 6
Series · 1960
Imitation of Life
Film · 1959
A Summer Place
Film · 1959
Hawaiian Eye
Series · 1959
Rawhide
Series · 1959
The Alaskans
Series · 1959
Bourbon Street Beat
Series · 1959
Monster on the Campus
Film · 1958
Voice in the Mirror
Film · 1958
This Happy Feeling
Film · 1958
Summer Love
Film · 1958
The Perfect Furlough
Film · 1958
Wild Heritage
Film · 1958
Live Fast, Die Young
Film · 1958
77 Sunset Strip
Series · 1958
Bronco
Series · 1958
77 Sunset Strip
Series · 1958
The Tarnished Angels
Film · 1957
Man Afraid
Film · 1957
The Monolith Monsters
Film · 1957
Man of a Thousand Faces
Film · 1957
Sugarfoot
Series · 1957
Maverick
Series · 1957
The Bob Hope Show
Series · 1950
The Ed Sullivan Show
Series · 1948
Golden Globe Awards
Series · 1944
Golden Globe Awards
Series · 1944