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 Johns ... on, 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.
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| Organization | Category | Movie |
|---|
Surfside 6
as Sandy Winfield II
Episodes: 74
First Aired: Oct 06, 1960
Mario Puzo's The Godfather: The Complete Novel for Television
as Merle Johnson
Episodes: 4
First Aired: Nov 12, 1977
Shake, Rattle and Roll: An American Love Story
as Rob Kamen
Episodes: 2
First Aired: Nov 07, 1991
Rawhide
as Buzz Travis
Episodes: 1
First Aired: Jan 09, 1959
Sugarfoot
as Ken Savage
Episodes: 1
First Aired: Sep 17, 1957
Maverick
as Dan Jamison
Episodes: 1
First Aired: Sep 22, 1957
Bourbon Street Beat
as Man on Phone (voice)
Episodes: 1
First Aired: Oct 05, 1959
The Name of the Game
as Norman Hoak
Episodes: 1
First Aired: Sep 20, 1968
Ellery Queen
as Gilbert Mallory
Episodes: 1
First Aired: Sep 11, 1975
Ironside
as Father Dugan
Episodes: 1
First Aired: Mar 28, 1967
77 Sunset Strip
as Sandy Winfield II
Episodes: 1
First Aired: Oct 10, 1958
The Love Boat
as Mr. Clark
Episodes: 1
First Aired: Sep 24, 1977
Hawaiian Eye
Episodes: 24
First Aired: Oct 07, 1959
Bronco
Episodes: 2
First Aired: Sep 23, 1958
CHiPs
Episodes: 1
First Aired: Sep 15, 1977
77 Sunset Strip
Episodes: 1
First Aired: Oct 10, 1958
The Hardy Boys / Nancy Drew Mysteries
Episodes: 1
First Aired: Jan 30, 1977
Laverne & Shirley
Episodes: 1
First Aired: Jan 27, 1976
Monsters
Episodes: 1
First Aired: Oct 22, 1988
Vega$
Episodes: 1
First Aired: Sep 20, 1978
Matt Houston
Episodes: 1
First Aired: Sep 26, 1982
The Patty Duke Show
Episodes: 1
First Aired: Sep 18, 1963
The Alaskans
Episodes: 1
First Aired: Oct 04, 1959
The Eddie Capra Mysteries
Episodes: 1
First Aired: Sep 08, 1978
The Bob Hope Show
as Self
Episodes: 1
First Aired: Apr 09, 1950
The Ed Sullivan Show
as Self
Episodes: 1
First Aired: Jun 20, 1948
Popularity History
| Year | Month | Avg | Max | Min |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 6 | 15 | 22 | 10 |
| 2024 | 7 | 19 | 29 | 10 |
| 2024 | 8 | 13 | 33 | 7 |
| 2024 | 9 | 17 | 28 | 7 |
| 2024 | 10 | 7 | 21 | 3 |
| 2024 | 11 | 5 | 8 | 2 |
| 2024 | 12 | 6 | 9 | 2 |
| 2025 | 1 | 10 | 16 | 4 |
| 2025 | 2 | 5 | 12 | 1 |
| 2025 | 3 | 4 | 9 | 1 |
| 2025 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| 2025 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 2025 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 2025 | 8 | 1 | 2 | 0 |