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 A sex symbol or icon is a person or character widely considered sexually attractive. Pam Cook, "The trouble with sex: Diana Dors and the Blonde bombshell phenomenon", In: Bruce Babinigton (ed.), ''British Stars and Stardom: From Alma Taylor t ...

in the 1950s and 1960s.

Biography

Early years

Born in New York City, Donahue was the son of a retired stage actress and the manager of the motion-picture department of

General Motors The General Motors Company (GM) is an American Multinational corporation, multinational Automotive industry, automotive manufacturing company headquartered in Detroit, Michigan, United States. It is the largest automaker in the United States and ...

. Donahue stated in a 1959 interview:

Acting is all I ever wanted. Ever since I can remember, I've studied and read plays. My mother would help me, but my parents didn't want me to become an actor. They preferred something more stable—doctor, lawyer, Indian chief, anything.

"I can remember always being exposed to Broadway and theater people", he added in 1984. "I can remember sitting with Gertrude Lawrence while she read her reviews in ''

The King and I ''The King and I'' is the fifth musical by the team of Rodgers and Hammerstein. It is based on Margaret Landon's novel '' Anna and the King of Siam'' (1944), which is in turn derived from the memoirs of Anna Leonowens, governess to the chil ...

''." Troy and his family grew up on Middle Road, in Bayport. To please his parents, Donahue attended a New York military academy, where he met

Francis Ford Coppola Francis Ford Coppola (; ; born April 7, 1939) is an American film director, producer, and screenwriter. He is considered one of the major figures of the New Hollywood filmmaking movement of the 1960s and 1970s. Coppola is the recipient of five ...

. He was going to attend

West Point The United States Military Academy (USMA), also known Metonymy, metonymically as West Point or simply as Army, is a United States service academies, United States service academy in West Point, New York. It was originally established as a f ...

, but suffered a knee injury at a track meet. He volunteered for the army, but was rejected. When Donahue was 18, he moved to New York and got a job as a messenger in a film company founded by his father (who had died when he was 14). He was fired, he says, because he was too young to join the union. He attended

Columbia University Columbia University (also known as Columbia, and officially as Columbia University in the City of New York) is a private research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Church in Manhatt ...

and studied journalism. He acted in summer stock in Bucks County. He trained briefly with Ezra Stone, and then moved to

Hollywood Hollywood usually refers to: * Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California * Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States Hollywood may also refer to: Places United States * Hollywood District (disambiguation) * Hollywoo ...

Hollywood

One evening, producer William Asher and director James Sheldon spotted Donahue in a diner in Malibu and arranged for a screen test with

Columbia Pictures Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. is an American film production studio that is a member of the Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group, a division of Sony Pictures Entertainment, which is one of the Big Five studios and a subsidiary of the mu ...

, but it was unsuccessful. Some time later, Donahue was in a car accident in which he drove off a road and plunged 40 feet down a canyon. Actress

Fran Bennett Fran Bennett (August 14, 1937 – September 11, 2021) was an American actress, known for her works in theater and on television. She portrayed the role of Mother Olivia Jefferson in a re-creation of the pilot episode of '' The Jeffersons'' in ...

introduced him to agent Henry Willson, who represented

Rock Hudson Rock Hudson (born Roy Harold Scherer Jr.; November 17, 1925 – October 2, 1985) was an American actor. One of the most popular movie stars of his time, he had a screen career spanning more than three decades. A prominent heartthrob in the Gold ...

, among others. Willson signed him and changed his name to Troy Donahue. "At first they had Paris, the lover of

Helen of Troy Helen of Troy, Helen, Helena, (Ancient Greek: Ἑλένη ''Helénē'', ) also known as beautiful Helen, Helen of Argos, or Helen of Sparta, was a figure in Greek mythology said to have been the most beautiful woman in the world. She was believe ...

, in mind", Donahue says. "But I guess they thought they couldn't name me Paris Donahue because there was already a Paris, France, and Paris, Illinois." He later added, "it took me five minutes to get used to y new name.

Universal

Donahue signed with

Universal Studios Universal Pictures (legally Universal City Studios LLC, also known as Universal Studios, or simply Universal; common metonym: Uni, and formerly named Universal Film Manufacturing Company and Universal-International Pictures Inc.) is an Americ ...

in October 1956. They started him off in small roles in films such as '' Man Afraid'', '' Man of a Thousand Faces'', '' The Tarnished Angels'', ''Above All Things'', and '' The Monolith Monsters'' (all 1957). In 1958, he was also used in '' Summer Love'', and had a slightly bigger part in '' Live Fast, Die Young''. He began appearing on TV in a guest part in '' Man Without a Gun''. This was followed by parts in '' This Happy Feeling'', '' Wild Heritage'', '' Voice in the Mirror'', ''

The Perfect Furlough ''The Perfect Furlough'' is a 1958 American CinemaScope Eastmancolor romantic comedy film directed by Blake Edwards and written by Stanley Shapiro. Edwards and Shapiro would re-team the following year for another Tony Curtis service comedy, '' O ...

'', and '' Monster on the Campus'' (billed fifth). He often had better roles in TV, guest-starring in episodes of '' The Californians'', '' Rawhide'', ''

Wagon Train ''Wagon Train'' is an American Western series that aired 8 seasons: first on the NBC television network (1957–1962), and then on ABC (1962–1965). ''Wagon Train'' debuted on September 18, 1957, and became number one in the Nielsen ratings ...

'', and ''

Tales of Wells Fargo ''Tales of Wells Fargo'' is an American Western television series starring Dale Robertson that ran from 1957 to 1962 on NBC. Produced by Revue Productions, the series aired in a half-hour format until its final season, when it expanded t ...

'' and The Virginian. He later said "In most of those Universal pictures, if you went out for popcorn you missed me." Donahue achieved good reviews for a brief, but effective part in '' Imitation of Life'' (1959), playing a young white man who beats up his new girlfriend after he discovers she is black.

Warner Bros. and ''A Summer Place''

The big break of Donahue's career came when he was cast opposite

Sandra Dee Sandra Dee (born Alexandra Zuck; April 23, 1942 – February 20, 2005) was an American actress. Dee began her career as a child model, working first in commercials, and then film in her teenage years. Best known for her portrayal of ingén ...

in ''

A Summer Place ''A Summer Place'' may refer to: * A Summer Place (novel), ''A Summer Place'' (novel), a 1958 novel by Sloan Wilson * A Summer Place (film), ''A Summer Place'' (film), a 1959 American romantic drama film based on the novel * Theme from A Summer Pla ...

'', made by Warner Bros. in 1959. The director was

Delmer Daves Delmer Lawrence Daves (July 24, 1904 – August 17, 1977) was an American screenwriter, film director and film producer. He worked in many genres, including film noir and warfare, but he is best known for his Western movies, especially '' Broke ...

. 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 Maverick, Maveric or Maverik may refer to: History * Maverick (animal), an unbranded range animal, derived from U.S. cattleman Samuel Maverick Aviation * AEA Maverick, an Australian single-seat sportsplane design * General Aviation Design Bure ...

'' (1959), '' Sugarfoot'' (1959), '' The Alaskans'' (1960), and '' Lawman'' (1960). ''A Summer Place'' was a hit and made Donahue a name, especially among teenaged audiences. In 1960, he was named by ''

The Film Daily ''The Film Daily'' was a daily publication that existed from 1918 to 1970 in the United States. It was the first daily newspaper published solely for the film industry. It covered the latest trade news, film reviews, financial updates, informatio ...

'' as one of the five "finds" of the year. He had a support part in a disaster movie, ''

The Crowded Sky ''The Crowded Sky'' is a 1960 Technicolor drama film distributed by Warner Bros., produced by Michael Garrison, directed by Joseph PevneySplendor in the Grass'', but missed out to

Warren Beatty Henry Warren Beatty (né Beaty; born March 30, 1937) is an American actor and filmmaker, whose career spans over six decades. He was nominated for 15 Academy Awards, including four for Best Actor, four for Best Picture, two for Best Director, ...

''Surfside 6''

Instead, Warner Bros. put him in a TV series, '' Surfside 6'' (1960–62), one of several spin-offs of '' 77 Sunset Strip'', announced in April 1960. On ''Surfside 6'', Donahue starred with Van Williams, Lee Patterson, Diane McBain, and Margarita Sierra in the ABC series, set in

Miami Beach, Florida Miami Beach is a coastal resort city in Miami-Dade County, Florida. It was incorporated on March 26, 1915. The municipality is located on natural and man-made barrier islands between the Atlantic Ocean and Biscayne Bay, the latter of which ...

. After ''Surfside 6'' was cancelled, Donahue joined the cast of ''

Hawaiian Eye ''Hawaiian Eye'' is an American detective television series that ran from October 1959 to April 1963 on the ABC television network. Premise Private investigator Tracy Steele ( Anthony Eisley) and his half-Hawaiian partner, Tom Lopaka ( Robert ...

'', another spinoff of ''Sunset Strip'', for its last season from 1962 to 1963 in the role of hotel director Philip Barton, joining

Robert Conrad Robert Conrad (born Conrad Robert Falk; March 1, 1935 – February 8, 2020) was an American film and television actor, singer, and stuntman. He is best known for his role in the 1965–1969 television series '' The Wild Wild West'', playi ...

and

Connie Stevens Connie Stevens (born Concetta Rosalie Ann Ingolia; August 8, 1938) is an American actress and singer. Born in Brooklyn, New York City to musician parents, Stevens was raised there until age 12, when she was sent to live with family friends in r ...

in the series lead. Surfside 6 1

Donahue's career got a big break when

Joshua Logan Joshua Lockwood Logan III (October 5, 1908 – July 12, 1988) was an American director, writer, and actor. He shared a Pulitzer Prize for co-writing the musical ''South Pacific'' and was involved in writing other musicals. Early years Logan w ...

dropped out as director of '' Parrish'' (1961); Logan was replaced by Delmer Daves, who brought in Donahue as star, and the film was a hit. Donahue and Daves reunited for another melodrama, ''

Susan Slade ''Susan Slade'' is a 1961 American Technicolor drama film directed by Delmer Daves and starring Troy Donahue, Connie Stevens, Dorothy McGuire and Lloyd Nolan. Based upon the 1961 novel ''The Sin of Susan Slade'' by Doris Hume, concerns a well-t ...

'' (1962). They made a fourth film, '' Rome Adventure'' (1962), a romance starring

Suzanne Pleshette Suzanne Pleshette (January 31, 1937 – January 19, 2008) was an American theatre, film, television, and voice actress. Pleshette started her career in the theatre and began appearing in films in the late 1950s and later appeared in prominent ...

. In 1962, he claimed he received 5,000–7,500 fan letters a week. The following year, exhibitors voted him the 20th most popular star in the US. He was also popular in Japan. "I guess because I was blond, blue-eyed, and tanned, people associated me with all those beach movies that were around then, even though I never did one", he later said. "I was always the goody-goody, the guy who did what he was supposed to." He did appear in a nearly beach-party film, ''

Palm Springs Weekend ''Palm Springs Weekend'' is a 1963 Warner Bros. bedroom comedy film directed by Norman Taurog. It has elements of the beach party genre ( AIP's '' Beach Party'' became a smash hit in July, while Warner Bros. was still putting this film together ...

'' (1963), alongside several other Warner Bros. players. As a change of pace, Pleshette and he were cast in a Western '' A Distant Trumpet'' (1964), the last film of director

Raoul Walsh Raoul Walsh (born Albert Edward Walsh; March 11, 1887December 31, 1980) was an American film director, actor, founding member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), and the brother of silent screen actor George Walsh. He wa ...

Recording star

Donahue also had a brief tenure as a recording artist at the height of his fame in the early 1960s, releasing a handful of singles for Warner Bros. Records, including "Live Young" and "Somebody Loves Me". However, none of his recordings entered the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 list.

Leaving Warner Bros.

In 1965, Donahue was cast as a

psychopath Psychopathy, sometimes considered synonymous with sociopathy, is characterized by persistent antisocial behavior, impaired empathy and remorse, and bold, disinhibited, and egotistical traits. Different conceptions of psychopathy have been ...

ic killer opposite

Joey Heatherton Davenie Johanna "Joey" Heatherton (born September 14, 1944) is an American actress, dancer, and singer. A sex symbol of the 1960s and 1970s, she is best known for her many television appearances during that time, particularly as a frequent varie ...

in '' My Blood Runs Cold''. While Donahue was happy to break type and play a different type of role, it was not well received by the public. His contract with

Warner Bros Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (commonly known as Warner Bros. or abbreviated as WB) is an American Film studio, film and entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios, Burbank, Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, Califo ...

. ended shortly thereafter—although it ran until early 1968, Donahue asked to be released from it in January 1966. Donahue later claimed:

Jack Warner called every studio I used to work for and used his muscle to keep me busted. I was blackballed and everyone in the business knew it. Please print that. I made one film in Europe playing a Victorian astronaut, but no one ever saw it. Then by the time I could get work again, it was too late because my type was already out of fashion.

He later reflected on this period, "They pumped me til the well went dry. My image came out of Warner Bros. and it was one that was on its way out. I think I'm a little deeper than the roles I was given to play." In 1967, he said ''Parrish'' had been the most satisfactory of his movies. "I had the best script and the best opportunity as an actor. Not too many of those came my way. But I did get great exposure at Warner ros. Now I'm free to call my own shots. I've made more money in two years on my own than the whole time I was under contract." The work was not very distinguished, however: a spy spoof, '' Come Spy with Me'' (1967); a British adventure tale, '' Jules Verne's Rocket to the Moon'' (1967); and a Western for Albert Zugsmith, ''

The Phantom Gunslinger ''The Phantom Gunslinger'' is a 1970 Mexican-American Western film directed by Albert Zugsmith. The film stars Troy Donahue, Sabrina, Elizabeth Campbell, Emilio Fernández, Germán Robles, and Pedro Armendáriz, Jr. A digitally restored versi ...

'' (shot 1967, released 1970). In 1967, Donahue walked out of a contract to appear in the play ''Poor Richard'' at the Pheasant Run Playhouse. He was sued for $200,000.

Universal

In 1968, Donahue signed a long-term contract with

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).

Decline

Donahue declared bankruptcy in 1968 and eventually lost his home. "I was living like a movie star but wasn't being paid like one", he says. "I lived way over my head and got into great trouble and lost everything. I went from a beautiful home, garden, swimming pool to living in shabby apartments." Donahue later admitted that he began abusing drugs and alcohol at the peak of his career and increased use after his career began to wane:

I was loaded all the time... I'd wake up about 6:30 in the morning, take three aspirins mixed with
codeine Codeine is an opiate and prodrug of morphine mainly used to treat pain, coughing, and diarrhea. It is also commonly used as a recreational drug. It is found naturally in the sap of the opium poppy, ''Papaver somniferum''. It is typically ...
, slug down half a pint of vodka and then do four lines of
cocaine Cocaine (from , from , ultimately from Quechua: ''kúka'') is a central nervous system (CNS) stimulant mainly used recreationally for its euphoric effects. It is primarily obtained from the leaves of two Coca species native to South Am ...
. That was just so I could get the front door open to peek out and see if I could face the day... I would lie, steal and cheat, all those wonderful things that drunks do. I was crafty. Nobody knew how much I drank then. If a bottle was out on the counter, I'd take a swig when I passed it and quickly put it back.

"I spent a lot of time judging beauty contests and opening banks", Donahue said of this period. He also wrote TV screenplays under a pseudonym. Donahue was struggling to make his way in a changing Hollywood. As he said later, "If you're the boy next door and you're supposed to be squeaky clean, all you had to do was let your sideburns grow and suddenly you were a

hippie A hippie, also spelled hippy, especially in British English, is someone associated with the counterculture of the 1960s, originally a youth movement that began in the United States during the mid-1960s and spread to different countries around ...

." Donahue says when he met casting directors they would ask "Why don't you comb your hair? How come you have grown a moustache? What are you doing with a beard?" He also thinks his career was hurt by the fact he was an anti-

Vietnam War The Vietnam War (also known by #Names, other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vie ...

Democrat while "everybody assumed I was a Republican". He wrote screenplays under a pseudonym and performed in '' The Owl and the Pussycat'' on stage in

stock In finance, stock (also capital stock) consists of all the shares by which ownership of a corporation or company is divided.Longman Business English Dictionary: "stock - ''especially AmE'' one of the shares into which ownership of a compan ...

Move to New York

In 1969, Donahue moved from Los Angeles to New York City. He said a few years later:

It took guts to walk out of Hollywood, but it would have been worse to stay. I had a house, seven black Cadillac convertibles, and two wrecked marriages. I already had my head turned; turning back was easy. It doesn't matter if I have a beard or a crewcut. People respond to me because I have a human quality. I know I'll be put down by Hollywood, but I don't speak to anybody out there anyway... I smoke grass and ride cycles, my lifestyle is casual, but I'm not a dope fiend or a hippie freak. I've found strength in
Jesus Christ Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label= Hebrew/ Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other names and titles), was a first-century Jewish preacher and relig ...
and he's easier to follow than
Zen Buddhism Zen ( zh, t=禪, p=Chán; ja, text= 禅, translit=zen; ko, text=선, translit=Seon; vi, text=Thiền) is a school of Mahayana Buddhism that originated in China during the Tang dynasty, known as the Chan School (''Chánzong'' 禪宗), an ...
. I'm not strung out. I'm a very reasonable, professional actor.

While in New York, Donahue appeared in the daytime CBS drama '' The Secret Storm'' for six months. He later called the role "the best part I ever had". By this time, Donahue's drug addiction and

alcoholism Alcoholism is, broadly, any drinking of alcohol that results in significant mental or physical health problems. Because there is disagreement on the definition of the word ''alcoholism'', it is not a recognized diagnostic entity. Predomi ...

had ruined him financially. One summer, he was homeless and lived in

Central Park Central Park is an urban park in New York City located between the Upper West and Upper East Sides of Manhattan. It is the fifth-largest park in the city, covering . It is the most visited urban park in the United States, with an estimated ...

. "There was always somebody who could be amused by Troy Donahue", he says. "I'd meet them anywhere, in a park, street, party, in bed. I lived in a bush in Central Park for one summer. I kept everything I had in a backpack." He had roles in low-budget films such as '' Sweet Savior'' (1971), '' The Last Stop'' (1972), and ''

Seizure An epileptic seizure, informally known as a seizure, is a period of symptoms due to abnormally excessive or synchronous neuronal activity in the brain. Outward effects vary from uncontrolled shaking movements involving much of the body with lo ...

'' (1974),

Oliver Stone William Oliver Stone (born September 15, 1946) is an American film director, producer, and screenwriter. Stone won an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay as writer of '' Midnight Express'' (1978), and wrote the gangster film remake '' Sc ...

's directorial debut. In 1974,

cast him in a small part in '' The Godfather Part II'' as the fiancé of Connie Corleone. His character was named Merle Johnson, a nod to Donahue's real name. Donahue was paid $10,000 for the role for one week's work.

Return to Hollywood

Donahue moved back to Los Angeles, where he married for a fourth time. He appeared in ''

Cockfighter ''Cockfighter'' (also known as ''Born to Kill'', ''Gamblin' Man'' and ''Wild Drifter'') is a 1974 drama film by director Monte Hellman, starring Warren Oates, Harry Dean Stanton and featuring Laurie Bird and Ed Begley Jr. The screenplay is based ...

'' (1974) for director

Monte Hellman Monte Hellman (; born Monte Jay Himmelbaum; July 12, 1929 – April 20, 2021) was an American film director, producer, writer, and editor. Hellman began his career as an editor's apprentice at ABC TV, and made his directorial debut with the ho ...

, and made ''South Seas'' in the Philippines. He acted in occasional television guest spots (''

Ellery Queen Ellery Queen is a pseudonym created in 1929 by American crime fiction writers Frederic Dannay and Manfred Bennington Lee and the name of their main fictional character, a mystery writer in New York City who helps his police inspector father solve ...

'', ''

The Hardy Boys The Hardy Boys, brothers Frank and Joe Hardy, are fictional characters who appear in several mystery series for children and teens. The series revolves around teenagers who are amateur sleuths, solving cases that stumped their adult counterp ...

'', '' CHiPs'') and appeared in whiskey commercials for the Japanese television market. Donahue said in 1978:

After eight years at Warners, I did a few independent pictures that never went any place. I travelled, played stickball, had a few marriages and many affairs. I just totally enjoyed myself and did the things I didn't get to do when I was a kid. Now I've decided I wanna go back to work again and I've been encouraged by a lot of people who feel that I have the talent and everything that goes with it.

There was talk of a TV movie, ''Return to a Summer Place'', but it was never made. After his fourth marriage ended in 1981, Donahue decided to seek help for his drinking and drug use. In May 1982, he joined

Alcoholics Anonymous Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) is an international mutual aid fellowship of alcoholics dedicated to abstinence-based recovery from alcoholism through its spiritually-inclined Twelve Step program. Following its Twelve Traditions, AA is non-professi ...

, which he credited for helping him achieve and maintain sobriety. "I look upon my sobriety as a miracle", he says. "I simply do it one day at a time. The obsession to not drink has become as big as the obsession to drink. I was very fortunate."

Later years

Donahue continued to act in films throughout the 1980s and into the late 1990s. He appeared in the feature film '' Grandview, U.S.A.'' which was shot in

Pontiac, Illinois Pontiac is a city in Livingston County, Illinois, United States. The population was 11,931 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Livingston County. The town is also the setting of the 1984 movie '' Grandview, U.S.A.'' Geography Location ...

. "Crowds of teenaged girls would swarm around C. Thomas Howell, and teenaged boys around Jamie Lee Curtis, but the major celebrity was Donahue", recalls director Randal Kleiser. "These women who had grown up with him as their heartthrob followed him everywhere." However, he never obtained the recognition that he had in the earlier years of his career. Donahue's final film role was in the 2000 comedy film ''The Boys Behind the Desk'', directed by Sally Kirkland.

Personal life

Donahue was married four times and had one child, Sean. His first marriage was to actress

, with whom he had twice co-starred in films. They wed on January 5, 1964, in Beverly Hills, and divorced nine months later. On October 21, 1966, Donahue married actress Valerie Allen in Dublin They separated in April 1967, and she filed for divorce in April 1968, charging him with cruelty, divorcing in November 1968. Donahue's third marriage was to executive secretary Alma Sharpe. They married on November 15, 1969, in

Roanoke, Virginia Roanoke ( ) is an independent city in the U.S. state of Virginia. At the 2020 census, the population was 100,011, making it the 8th most populous city in the Commonwealth of Virginia and the largest city in Virginia west of Richmond. It is ...

. "I couldn't take care of myself, and I knew this friend would take me under her wing", he says. They divorced in 1972. Donahue's fourth and final marriage was to land developer Vicki Taylor. They were married in 1979 and divorced in 1981. In his final years, Donahue was in a long-term relationship with

mezzo-soprano A mezzo-soprano or mezzo (; ; meaning "half soprano") is a type of classical female singing voice whose vocal range lies between the soprano and the contralto voice types. The mezzo-soprano's vocal range usually extends from the A below middl ...

Zheng Cao Zheng Cao (July 9, 1966February 21, 2013) was a Chinese-born, American operatic mezzo-soprano known for her signature role of Suzuki in ''Madama Butterfly''. She performed this role with opera companies such as San Francisco Opera, Grand Thé� ...

, to whom he was engaged and with whom he lived in

Santa Monica, California Santa Monica (; Spanish: ''Santa Mónica'') is a city in Los Angeles County, situated along Santa Monica Bay on California's South Coast. Santa Monica's 2020 U.S. Census population was 93,076. Santa Monica is a popular resort town, owing to ...

. Donahue had a son, Sean, by a woman with whom he had a brief relationship in 1969. He only found out about the son in the early 1980s when he encountered the woman again. As he recalled in 1984:

She walked over and introduced herself and I remembered that we had been together four or five times in L.A. in 1969. Nothing serious. Just fun and games. She said, "I'm glad I saw you. I've always wanted to tell you about something. Look over there, Troy." I looked and across the room I saw a 13-year-old spitting image of what I looked like when I was young. "This is your son, Sean", she said. "He's known all his life that you are his father."... I see him every couple of weeks now.

In 1958, Donahue was jailed for 15 days for speeding. In 1961, his one-time fiancée Lili Kardell sued him for damages, claiming he had hit her without provocation.

Death

On August 30, 2001, Donahue suffered a

heart attack A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when blood flow decreases or stops to the coronary artery of the heart, causing damage to the heart muscle. The most common symptom is chest pain or discomfort which ma ...

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

Box office ranking

* 1960: voted 5th most likely star of Tomorrow * 1961: 24th most popular star in the US * 1963: 20th most popular star in the US

Theatre credits

* ''Stalag 17'' (1953) * ''The Owl and the Pussycat'' (1966) * ''Poor Richard'' (1967)

In popular culture

* Troy Donahue was one of the inspirations for ''

The Simpsons ''The Simpsons'' is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical depiction of American life, epitomized by the Simpson family, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, ...

'' character Troy McClure, along with Doug McClure, and a measure of the character's voice actor Phil Hartman.The Simpsons Season 2 DVD, Episode: Homer vs. Lisa and the 8th Commandment * Donahue is mentioned in the song "Look at Me, I'm Sandra Dee", from the 1971 musical '' Grease'', reflecting his status as a teen idol at the time in which the action is set. The line, which is performed by

Stockard Channing Stockard Channing (born Susan Antonia Williams Stockard; February 13, 1944) is an American actress. She is known for playing Betty Rizzo in the film '' Grease'' (1978) and First Lady Abbey Bartlet in the NBC television series '' The West Wing'' ...

in the 1978 film version, is as follows: "As for you, Troy Donahue, I know what you want to do." * Donahue is also mentioned in the song "Mother" in the musical '' A Chorus Line'', when the character Bobby sings, "If Troy Donahue could be a movie star, then I could be a movie star."

References

External links

* * *
Troy Donahue at Brian's Drive-In Theater

Troy Donahue at Encore4.net
{{DEFAULTSORT:Donahue, Troy 1936 births 2001 deaths 20th-century American male actors 21st-century American male actors American male film actors American male pop singers American male television actors Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism alumni Male actors from New York City Singers from New York City Warner Bros. contract players 20th-century American singers 20th-century American male singers New Star of the Year (Actor) Golden Globe winners