Troy Donahue (27 January 1936 – 2 September 2001) was an American actor and
teen idol of the late
1950s and early
1960s.
Life and career
Born
Merle Johnson Jr., Donahue was initially a
journalism student at
Columbia University in
New York City before he decided to become an actor in
Hollywood, where he was represented by
Rock Hudson's agent,
Henry Willson. According to Robert Hofler's 2005 biography,
The Man Who Invented Rock Hudson: The Pretty Boys and Dirty Deals of Henry Willson, Willson tried out the name Troy on
Rory Calhoun and
James Darren, with no success before it finally stuck to Donahue. The blond heartthrob established himself with uncredited roles in
The Monolith Monsters and
Man Afraid in 1957, leading to larger parts in several films.
He starred in
Monster on the Campus,
Live Fast, Die Young, and
The Tarnished Angels, all in 1958, and opposite fellow teen idol
Sandra Dee in
A Summer Place in 1959. The latter made him a star, especially among teenage audiences. He signed a contract with
Warner Bros. and played several successive leading roles in films such as
Rome Adventure and
A Distant Trumpet. The two co-starred
Suzanne Pleshette, whom he married in 1964, but divorced later that same year.
After the release of
My Blood Runs Cold (1965), Donahue's contract with Warner Bros. ended. He later struggled to find new roles and had problems with
drug addiction and
alcoholism. He was married again in 1966 to actress
Valerie Allen, but they divorced in 1968. In 1970 he appeared in the daytime drama
The Secret Storm. In 1974 he was cast in his most high-profile role, a small part in
The Godfather Part II as the fiancé of Connie Corleone. His character was called Merle Johnson, Donahue's real name.
Donahue starred with
Van Williams from 1960 to 1962 in the
ABC television series Surfside 6, set in
Miami,
Florida. After
Surfside 6, Donahue joined the cast of
Hawaiian Eye for its last season, 1962-1963, in the role of
hotel director Philip Barton.
After the breakup of his brief second marriage, the one to actress
Suzanne Pleshette, Donahue wed actress
Valerie Pamela Allen (born 1940) on October 21, 1966, in
Dublin,
Ireland. The union ended two years later when Allen claimed in divorce proceedings that Donahue was constantly late for dinner and ignored her. No alimony was granted, but Donahue agreed to pay Allen $14,000 in monthly installments of $800 each.
Donahue spent his last few years with his fiancée,
mezzo-soprano Zheng Cao. He died of a
heart attack at the age of 65.
In popular culture
- Donahue is referenced in the line "As for you, Troy Donahue, I know what you wanna do" from the song "Look at Me, I'm Sandra Dee" in Grease.
- He is also referenced in the Broadway musical A Chorus Line in the song "Hello Twelve, Hello Thirteen, Hello Love". In it, the character Bobby sings the line: "If Troy Donahue could be a movie star, then I could be a movie star." A similarly scathing reference occurs in the movie The Life and Death of Peter Sellers when - after a furious row between Peter Sellers and director Blake Edwards - Edwards comments to the camera that all actors are difficult, with the exception of "Troy Donahue", the implication being only those with talent are trouble to a director.
- In the Badly Drawn Boy song "One Last Dance," he sings "I'll be your Troy Donahue, if you'll be my Sandra Dee."
- During the commentary of the Seinfeld episode "The Junior Mint", Jerry Seinfeld comments that he looks like Troy Donahue due to his haircut.
- During the presentation of the short "Is This Love?" on the comedy show Mystery Science Theater 3000, the 'bots quip "You taste like Troy Donahue," and "Well, you taste like Elinore Donahue," as an attactive couple kiss.
Filmography
