Quiz

During the early 1980s, his personal and professional fortunes had sunk so low that he was literally homeless; sleeping on a bench in New York's Central Park.

After his father's death, at age 14 Troy was sent to military school. As a cadet, he became friends with a classmate, Francis Ford Coppola. This led to his being cast in Il padrino - Parte II (1974).

Used his real name, Merle Johnson, for his character in Il padrino - Parte II (1974).

Along with Doug McClure, was the inspiration for I Simpson (1989) character "Troy McClure".

After suffering a heart attack on August 30, 2001, he underwent successful angioplasty surgery upon his arrival at the hospital, but then suffered a second heart attack the following day and was given a heart bypass operation.

Starting drinking alcohol in seventh grade (age 13). After being dropped by Warner Brothers in 1966 (age 30) he became an alcoholic. Admitted that he was addicted to pain killers, amphetamines, and cocaine, and used marijuana daily. Joined AA in 1982 (age 46) and turned his life around with his sobriety.

Received his movie name of "Troy Donahue" from the same person who invented the screen names of Rock Hudson and Tab Hunter, Hollywood press agent Henry Willson.

Former co-star and long-time friend Connie Stevens visited Donahue while he was in the hospital recovering from a heart attack on the day before he died.

1/23/05: Ranked #10 in TV Guide's list of "TV's 25 Greatest Teen Idols".

As a recurring guest on Ruth Lyons' The 50/50 Club (1949), which broadcast at noon from the powerful WLW-T in Cincinnati, in the late '40s through the '50s and '60s, Troy had a huge fan in Ruth's teenage daughter Candy Laird Newman, and gave her, as a surprise, a walk-on part in Giorni caldi a Palm Springs (1963). It was announced on Ruth's show by Candy, and everyone was very excited for her. She was only on for a few seconds, but it was a very big deal for Candy, who died of cancer in the early 1960s at age 20.

Survived by his daughter Janine, her husband and three grandchildren, as well as a son, Sean (born 1970).

Suffered a heart attack on August 30, 2001. He never recovered and died at St. John's Hospital and Medical Center in Santa Monica, California three days later.

His name was used in the lyrics for the song, "Look at Me, I'm Sandra Dee" in the musical, Grease. ("As for you Troy Donahue...").

He toured in a producton of "Bye Bye Birdie" toward the end of his life.

Having migrated to Hollywood after dropping out of Columbia University, the sun-bleached blond was discovered and offered a Universal screen test by director William Asher while munching on a cheeseburger at a beachside diner.

At the time of his death he lived in Santa Monica, California with his fiancee, the mezzo-soprano Zheng Cao.

In 1960, MGM toyed with the idea of doing an all-male remake of 1939's The Women which would have been entitled, Gentlemen's Club. Like the female version, this would have involved an all masculine cast and the plot would have involved a man (Jeffrey Hunter) who recently discovers among his comrades that his wife is having an affair with another man (Earl Holliman) and after going to Reno to file for divorce and begin a new life, he later finds himself doing what he can to rectify matters later on when he discovers that the other man is only interested in money and position and he decides to win his true love back again. Although nothing ever came of this, it would have consisted of the following ensemble had it did: Jeffrey Hunter (Martin Heal), Earl Holliman (Christopher Allen), Tab Hunter (Simon Fowler), Lew Ayres (Count Vancott), Robert Wagner (Mitchell Aarons), James Garner (Peter Day), Jerry Mathers (Little Martin), James Stewart (Mr. Heal), Ronald Reagan (Larry), Troy Donahue (Norman Blake), and Stuart Whitman (Oliver, the bartender who spills the beans about the illicit affair).

Taught acting classes on Holland America cruise ships.

Suffered from chronic arthritis later in life and was taking the arthritis painkiller Vioxx at the time of his death.

Died just eleven days before his Scandalo al sole (1959) co-star, Dorothy McGuire.

His admittedly limited talent was slightly chided in the smash Broadway musical "A Chorus Line." The lyric went: "If Troy Donahue could be a movie star, then I could be a movie star!"

Son of Edith (Frederickson), a stage actress, and Merle Johnson Sr., a vice-president at General Motors. His mother was born in New York, to Swedish parents. His father was born in Illinois, to an English father and a German-American mother.

Talks about his early days at Universal, and the sci-fi movie Ricerche diaboliche (1958), in the book, "A Sci-Fi Swarm and Horror Horde" (McFarland, 2010), by Tom Weaver.

He was picked from 100's of unknown applicants to star in A Summer Place and went on to play Phil Barton in Hawaian Eye.

The January 5, 1972, issue of Variety lists a movie titled Without Last Rights, director Michael Meola, with cast Troy Donahue, Manchester Brooks, Caren Kaye, and others that started filming Nov. 12, 1971, in Paterson, NJ. No evidence the movie was ever finished or released.

He was a lifelong Democrat.

The January 17, 1990, edition of Variety, in the New Film Starts column, announced the film "The Scan" began filming January 15, 1990. Filming sites were to be Los Angeles, California, and Mazatlan, Mexico, under the direction of Anthony Logan. Lead actors included Dennis Cole and Troy Donahue. No evidence the film was ever completed or released.

Competed on All-Star Family Feud with his fellow cast mates from Hawaiian Eye: Connie Stevens, Grant Williams, Poncie Ponce and Anthony Eisley against the cast of Lost in Space.