Troy Donahue was a popular 1950s and 1960s actor and singer recognized for his beauty.
The actor would spend most of his life under fame and fan pressure.
Unfortunately, his life and traumas led to an unexpected outcome.
Every time I hear “Summer Place,” I think of Troy Donahue and how I watched the movie in the theater as a child. He was handsome!
Many young women were drawn to Troy Donahue’s 1950s and 1960s American beauty: young, blond, blue-eyed, and attractive.
Even though he was just a Hollywood star for a few years, most people remember him.
Despite his fame, he was underpaid. When he met his adolescent kid, his life started falling apart.
Merle Johnson was Donahue’s NYC birth name. His mother, a theatrical performer, inspired him to become an actor. He told People in 1984:
I was usually among Broadway and theater people. I remember sitting with Gertrude Lawrence when she read her ‘The King and I’ reviews.
He studied journalism at Columbia University but continued playing in stock shows. At his cinematic debut, he had a new name, an agency, and studio executives.
Paris, Helen of Troy’s lover, was their initial target. He stated they thought they couldn’t name me Paris Donahue since Paris, France and Paris, Illinois already existed.
Man Afraid was his film debut. Two years later, Warner Bros spotted his potential and hired him.
Troy remembered, “They asked me to light a cigarette, and when I did, they screamed and fell down.”
A Summer Place, released in 1959, made him a star.
Donohue became a teen heartthrob quickly by portraying a good guy opposite a blonde. Despite recognition, he struggled financially.
He said, “I lived way over my head and got into great trouble.”
Sandra Dee and Troy Donahue were a classic late-50s romantic film duo. In his career, Troy married four times.
Valerie Allen, Alma Sharpe, and Vicky Taylor were his divorced wives after Suzanne Pleshette.
As his love life declined, he suffered and used drugs. His bad habits hurt his acting career too.
By the late 1960s, his life was a mess.
I was always loaded. He said he would wake up at 6:30 a.m., take three codeine-laced aspirins, drink half a pint of vodka, and do four lines of cocaine.
Donahue consistently claimed that his addiction never ruined his sets, saying he was never intoxicated or impaired while working. According to the actor, his career did not cause him to drink.
He started drinking in seventh grade while studying for a test. A habit that nearly destroyed his future developed over time.
He lived in Central Park’s bushes as a young guy with his stuff in a bag.
His addiction persisted throughout his career until his fourth unsuccessful marriage. In May 1982, the actor sought professional help to get sober. As he explained:
Amazingly, I’m sober. I take it day by day. The obsession to not drink has grown alongside the obsession to drink. I was lucky.”
Just after recovery, Donahue ran across an old flame from Los Angeles. The woman pointed to a thirteen-year-old boy and told the actor he was his son as they caught up.
Donahue trusted her because the timeframe made sense and he saw himself as a child in the boy.
Thankfully, father and son got along instantly. Sean’s mother never requested child support, and the parents scheduled visitations so Sean could meet his father. Donahue was separated from his biological kid due to his drug and alcohol addiction.
His addictions affected his career. He no longer got big-budget parts and instead starred in Cry-Baby, Bad Blood, and Assault of the Party Nerds.
Troy Donahue
Posted by 20s-60s Movies on Monday, June 19, 2017.
In a 1998 interview, Donahue indicated he didn’t mind this B-film trend. Despite critics, he believed his career was ending and saw himself as a talented actor.
Donahue, 65, died of a heart attack in 2001, just years after this conversation.
He kept a healthy lifestyle and a close contact with his late-life kid after getting sober.
Troy was a handsome youngster and charming on TV! I’m sad for his troubles, but hopefully he’ll never be forgotten! Troy, thanks for the memories!