Troy Donahue
Acting
Born: January 27, 1936 · New York City, New York, U.S.
Died: September 2, 2001 (aged 65)
Highest Rated
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.
Known for
The Godfather Part II
1974
Cry-Baby
1990
Imitation of Life
1959
The Love Boat
1977
The Godfather Trilogy: 1901-1980
1992
CHiPs
1977
Fantasy Island
1978
Deadly Prey
1987
The Tarnished Angels
1957
Mario Puzo's The Godfather: The Complete Novel for Television
1977
The Monolith Monsters
1957
Laverne & Shirley
1976
Photos (6)
Movies (70)
The Godfather Part II
Merle Johnson
A Summer Place
Johnny Hunter
Cry-Baby
Hatchet's Father
Imitation of Life
Frankie
Fight to Win
Rosenberg
Double Trouble
Leonard
A Distant Trumpet
2nd Lt. Matthew 'Matt' Hazard
Seizure
Mark Frost
Man of a Thousand Faces
Assistant Director (uncredited)
Grandview, U.S.A.
Donny Vinton
The Tarnished Angels
Frank Burnham
The Godfather: The Complete Epic 1901–1959
Merle Johnson
The Godfather Trilogy: 1901-1980
Merle Johnson
Cockfighter
Randall Mansfield
Come Spy with Me
Jill Parsons
The Monolith Monsters
Hank Jackson
Merchants of Venus
FBI Agent
The Chilling
Dr. Miller
Parrish
Parrish McLean
The Crowded Sky
McVey
The Perfect Furlough
Sergeant Nickles
Bimbo Movie Bash
Dr. Ackerman (archive footage)
Jules Verne's Rocket to the Moon
Gaylord Sullivan
Deadly Spygames
Python
Rome Adventure
Don Porter
Deadly Prey
Don Michaelson
The Pamela Principle
Troy
Susan Slade
Hoyt Brecker
Legion
Flemming
Palm Springs Weekend
Jim Munroe
Monster on the Campus
Jimmy Flanders
This Happy Feeling
Tony Manza
Outrage
Daniel
Cyclone
Bob Jenkins
Dr. Alien
Dr. Ackerman
Terminal Force
Slim
Live Fast, Die Young
Artie Sanders / Artie Smith
Man Afraid
Reporter (uncredited)
The Drifting Classroom
Taggart
Voice in the Mirror
Paul Cunningham
Split Second to an Epitaph
Father Dugan
Assault of the Party Nerds
Sid Witherspoon
Mondo Hollywood
1967
Wild Heritage
Jesse Bascomb
Shock 'Em Dead
Record Exec
Hollywood Cop
Lt Maxwell
Hard Rock Nightmare
Uncle Gary
Summer Love
Sax Lewis
Malibu
Clint Redman
The Lonely Profession
Julian Thatcher
Bad Blood
Jack Barnes
Nudity Required
Jack
Omega Cop
Slim
The Phantom Gunslinger
Bill
The Platinum Triangle
Harold Farber
South Seas
Steve
My Blood Runs Cold
Ben Gunther
Low Blow
John Templeton
Click: The Calendar Girl Killer
Alan
Sounds of Silence
Larry Haughton
American Rampage
Police Psychiatrist
The Legend of Frank Woods
Sheriff John Baxom
Blood Nasty
Barry Hefna
Sweet Savior
Moon
Hawkeye
Mayor
Lover, Come Back to Me
1983
Showdown
Police Captain
Deadly Diamonds
Matt Plimpton
Hot Times at Montclair High
Mr. Nichols
Sexpot
Phillip
TV Shows (25)
The Love Boat
Mr. Clark · 1 eps
Ironside
Father Dugan · 1 eps
Fantasy Island
Jack Terry · 1 eps
Maverick
Dan Jamison · 1 eps
Rawhide
Buzz Travis · 1 eps
The Name of the Game
Norman Hoak · 1 eps
Surfside 6
Sandy Winfield II · 74 eps
Matt Houston
1 eps
Laverne & Shirley
1 eps
Hawaiian Eye
24 eps
77 Sunset Strip
1 eps
77 Sunset Strip
Sandy Winfield II · 1 eps
Monsters
Dr. Thomas Becker · 1 eps
The Hardy Boys / Nancy Drew Mysteries
1 eps
Vega$
1 eps
Sugarfoot
Ken Savage · 1 eps
The Patty Duke Show
1 eps
Ellery Queen
Gilbert Mallory · 1 eps
Bronco
2 eps
CHiPs
1 eps
Bourbon Street Beat
Man on Phone (voice) · 1 eps
Mario Puzo's The Godfather: The Complete Novel for Television
Merle Johnson · 4 eps
The Alaskans
1 eps
The Eddie Capra Mysteries
1 eps
Shake, Rattle and Roll: An American Love Story
Rob Kamen · 2 eps
