Troy Donahue (January 27, 1936 – September 2, 2001) was an American actor, known for being a teen idol.
Merle Johnson Jr. was initially a journalism student at Columbia University 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 (1957) and Man Afraid (1957), leading to larger parts in several films.
He starred in Monster on the Campus, Live Fast, Die Young (1958), 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 huge star, especially among teenage audiences. He signed a contract with Warner Bros. and played several successive leading roles in films such as Parrish (1961) and Rome Adventure (aka Lovers Must Learn). He met his co-star Suzanne Pleshette and they married in 1964 but divorced later that 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, in The Godfather Part II as the new fiancé of Connie Corleone. His character was called Merle Johnson, Donahue's real name.
The character of Troy McClure in the animated program The Simpsons is said to be based on an amalgam of Donahue and Doug McClure.
He spent his last few years with his fiancée, mezzo-soprano Zheng Cao. He died of a heart attack in 2001.
Trivia
- Donahue's height was 6'3".
- He was touring in a Broadway production of Bye Bye Birdie a few months before his death.
- In 1960, he was one of the top five contenders for the lead role in West Side Story, the others being Warren Beatty, Anthony Perkins, Tab Hunter, and Richard Beymer, who ultimately won.
- In the song "Look at Me, I'm Sandra Dee" in Grease, there is a hinted reference to Troy Donahue. In the show A Chorus Line song "Hello 12, Hello 13", Troy Donahue is mentioned.