Daily BirthdaysTroy Donahue
He was initially a journalism student at Columbia University before he decided to become an actor. He made a name for himself with uncredited roles in The Monolith Monsters (1957) and Man Afraid (1957); leading to larger parts in several films, including Monster on the Campus (1958), and Live Fast, Die Young (1958). He signed a contract with Warner Bros., and he met actress Suzanne Pleshette on the set of Rome Adventure. 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. This also began Troy's downward slide, as he struggled to find new roles and he had problems with drug addiction and alcoholism. He married again in 1966, to actress Valerie Allen, and they divorced in 1968. In 1970 he starred in the drama The Secret Storm.
He spent his last few years with his fiancée, mezzo-soprano Zheng Cao. He eventually died of a heart attack in 2001.
Troy Donahue Facts
| Birth Name | Merle Johnson |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Birthday | January 27, 1936 |
| Sign | Aquarius |
| Birthplace | New York, New York, USA |
| Date of death | September 2, 2001 (Santa Monica, California, USA, age 65) |
| Height | 6' 3" (1m91) |