Troy Donahue Biography (1936-2001)

Born Merle Johnson, Jr., January 27, 1936 (some sources say January 17, 1937), in New York, NY; father, a General Motors executive, mother, a stage actress; married Alma Sharp (divorced); married Suzanne Pleshette (an actress), 1964 (divorced, 1964); married Valerie Allen (an actress), 1966 (divorced, 1968); married Vicky Taylor, 1979 (divorced, 1981); children: Sean. Addresses: Agent: Schiowitz/Clay/Rose Inc., 1680 N. Vine St., Suite 614, Los Angeles, CA 90028.

Nationality: American
Gender: Male
Occupation: Actor
Birth Details: January 27, 1936; New York, New York, United States
Death Details: September 2, 2001; Santa Monica, California

Famous Works

CREDITS
Film Appearances
(Film debut) Man Afraid, 1957
Frank Burnham, The Tarnished Angels, Universal, 1957
(Uncredited) Hank Jackson, man at dam, The Monolith Monsters, 1957
Artie Sanders, Live Fast, Die Young, Universal, 1958
Jimmy Flanders, Monster on the Campus (also known as Monster inthe Night and Stranger on Campus), Universal, 1958
Sergeant Nickles, The Perfect Furlough (also known as Strictlyfor Pleasure), Universal, 1958
Sax Lewis, Summer Love, Universal, 1958
Tony Manza, This Happy Feeling, Universal, 1958
Paul Cunningham, Voice in the Mirror, Universal, 1958
Jesse Bascomb, Wild Heritage, Universal, 1958
Frankie, Imitation of Life, Universal, 1959
Johnny Hunter, A Summer Place, Warner Bros., 1959
McVey, The Crowded Sky, Warner Bros., 1960
Parrish McLean, Parrish, Warner Bros., 1961
Hoyt Brecker, Susan Slade, Warner Bros., 1961 . Don Porter, Rome Adventure (also known as Lovers Must Learn), Warner Bros., 1962
Jim Munroe, Palm Springs Weekend, Warner Bros., 1963
Lieutenant Matthew "Matt" Hazard, A Distant Trumpet, Apex, 1964
Ben Gunther, My Blood Runs Cold, Warner Bros., 1965
Pete Barker, Come Spy with Me, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1967
Gaylord Sullivan, Those Fantastic Flying Fools (also known as Jules Verne's Rocket to the Moon, Journey That Shook the World, P.T. Barnum's Rocket to the Moon, and Blast Off), AmericanInternational, 1967
Moon, Sweet Savior (also known as The Love Thrill Murders),Trans World Attractions, 1971
Merle Johnson, The Godfather, Part II (also known as Mario Puzo's The Godfather: Part II), Paramount, 1974
Mark, Seizure (also known as Queen of Evil), American International, 1974
Steve, South Seas Massacre (also known as South Seas), 1974
Randall Mansfield, Born to Kill (also known as Cockfighter, Gamblin' Man, and Wild Drifter), New World, 1975
Sheriff John Baxom, The Legend of Frank Woods, 1977
Lester, Tin Man, Westcom, 1983
Donny Vinton, Grandview, U.S.A., Warner Bros., 1984
John Templeton, Low Blow (also known as Savage Sunday), Crown International, 1986
Bob Jenkins, Cyclone, Cinetel, 1987
Don Michaelson, Deadly Prey, Action, 1987
Back to the Beach, Paramount, 1987
Taggart, Hyoryu kyoshitsu (also known as The Drifting Classroom), 1987
Fight to Win (also known as Dangerous Passages and Eyesof the Dragon), 1987
Lieutenant Maxwell, Hollywood Cop, Peacock, 1988
Phillip, Sexpot, Platinum/Academy Home Entertainment, 1988
Dr. Ackerman, Dr. Alien (also known as I Was a Teenage Sex Mutant and I Was a Teenage Sex Maniac), Phantom Video, 1988
Jack, Nudity Required, 1988
Hawkeye, 1988

Uncle Gary, Hard Rock Nightmare, 1988
Jack Barnes, Bad Blood (also known as A Woman Obsessed andA Woman's Obsession), Platinum/Academy Home Entertainment, 1989
Sid Witherspoon, Assault of the Party Nerds (also known as Party Nerds), Prism Entertainment, 1989
Slim, Terminal Force, New World, 1989
Sounds of Silence, 1989
Harold Farber, The Platinum Triangle, 1989
Mr. Nichols, Hot Times at Montclair High, 1989
Python, Deadly Spygames, 1989
Dr. Miller, The Chilling (also known as Gamma 693), 1989
Barry Hefna, Blood Nasty, 1989
American Rampage, 1989
Slim, Omega Cop (also known as John Travis, Solar Survivor), 1990
Hatchet's father, Cry-Baby, 1990
Alan, Click: The Calendar Girl Killer, 1990
Deadly Diamonds, 1991
Escape from Rio, 1991
Record exec, Shock 'Em Dead (also known as Rock 'Em Dead), 1991
Troy, The Pamela Principle, 1991
Merle Johnson, The Godfather Trilogy: 1901-1980 (also known as The Godfather Saga and The Godfather Trilogy), 1992
Leonard Stewart, Double Trouble, 1992
Showdown, 1993
Merchants of Venice (also known as A Dirty Little Business), Amazing Movies, 1998
Television Appearances
Series
Sandy Winfield II, detective, Surfside Six, ABC, 1960-62
Philip Barton, hotel social director, Hawaiian Eye, ABC, 1962-63
R. B. Keefer, The Secret Storm, CBS, 1970
Movies
Father Dugan, Split Second to an Epitaph, 1968
Julian Thatcher, The Lonely Profession, 1969
Flemming, Legion, Sci-Fi Channel, 1998
Miniseries
Clint Redman, Malibu, ABC, 1983
Rob Kamen, Shake, Rattle and Roll: An American Love Story, NBC, 1999
Specials
The Bob Hope Show, NBC, 1960
The 1998 Creative Arts Emmy Awards, 1998
Episodic
"Incident at Alabaster Plain," Rawhide, 1959
"The Hunter Malloy Story," Wagon Train, NBC, 1959
Roy Parrott, "Backfire," Bronco, 1959
Dan Jamison, "Pappy," Maverick, 1959
"The Hothead," Colt. 45, ABC, 1959
Peter, "Beach Boy," Hawaiian Eye, 1959
Bart Bonner, "The Devil's Spawn," Bronco, 1959
Star Bright, "Condor's Lair," 77 Sunset Strip, ABC, 1960
Jim, "Birthday Boy," Hawaiian Eye, 1960
Ted Andrews, "Heart of Gold," The Alaskans, 1960
"Fox, Hound, and the Widow McCloud," The Virginian, 1969
Gilbert Mallory, "The Adventure of the Sinister Scenario," Ellery Queen, 1976
"Mystery on the Avalanche Express," The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries, 1978
Bob Niles, "Peaks and Valleys," CHiPs, NBC, 1978
Fantasy Island, ABC, 1978
Himself, "Studio City," Laverne & Shirley, 1980
Mr. Clark, "Matchmaker, Matchmaker, Times Two," The Love Boat, 1981
Fantasy Island, ABC, 1981
"Joey's Here," Matt Houston, ABC, 1982
"Micro Minds," Monsters, 1989
Esquire: About Men, for Women, Lifetime, 1989

Further Reference

OTHER SOURCES

Periodicals:

People Weekly, August 13, 1984, p. 89.

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