Troy Donahue was a famous actor and singer in the 1950s and 1960s, known for his good looks and charm.
However, the pressure from his fame and fans weighed heavily on him throughout most of his life.
In the end, his story took an unexpected turn that no one saw coming…
Whenever I hear the song “Summer Place,” I think of Troy Donahue. I remember watching the movie as a kid and thinking he was so handsome!
In the 1950s and 60s, Troy Donahue was seen as the ideal American heartthrob: young, blond, blue-eyed, and very good-looking. He had many young female fans because of his appearance.
Even though Troy was only a Hollywood star for a few years, many people still recognize his name, even if they might not remember him well.
Even though Troy Donahue was famous, he didn’t make much money from his career. His life started to fall apart, and things only began to improve when he reconnected with his teenage son.
Troy was born Merle Johnson in New York City. He was inspired by his mother, who was a stage actress, and wanted to be an actor from a young age. In a 1984 interview with People magazine, he said:
“I always grew up around Broadway and theater people. I remember sitting with Gertrude Lawrence while she read her reviews for ‘The King and I.’”
Troy Donahue went to Columbia University to study journalism, but he kept acting in local theater productions on the side. When he started appearing in movies, he had a new name, an agent, and was working with studio executives.
He said, “At first, they wanted to name me Paris, like the lover of Helen of Troy. But they changed it because there was already a Paris, France, and Paris, Illinois.”
Troy made his film debut in *Man Afraid*. Just two years later, he signed with Warner Bros, who saw his potential.
He recalled, “They asked me to light a cigarette, and when I did, they were so surprised, they fell down.”
In 1959, Troy starred in *A Summer Place*, which made him a big star and a popular teen heartthrob. He often played the good guy alongside a beautiful blonde actress. Despite his fame, he didn’t make much money.
Troy Donahue admitted that he was living like a movie star but not getting paid like one. He said, “I lived way over my head and got into a lot of trouble.”
In the late 1950s, Troy and Sandra Dee were known as a romantic movie couple. Over his life, Troy was married four times: first to Suzanne Pleshette, then to Valerie Allen, Alma Sharpe, and Vicky Taylor. All of these marriages ended in divorce.
As his love life fell apart, Troy began struggling with substance abuse. His unhealthy habits made things worse for his acting career.
By the end of the 1960s, his life was in a mess. He said, “I was loaded all the time. I’d wake up around 6:30 in the morning, take three aspirins with codeine, drink half a pint of vodka, and then do four lines of cocaine.”
Despite his struggles, Troy claimed that his addiction never affected his work. He insisted he was never drunk or impaired while working and that his drinking problems were not caused by his career.
Troy Donahue immediately believed the news when he learned he had a son, Sean. He saw a lot of himself in the boy and was relieved to find they got along well. Sean’s mother did not ask for child support, and they set up visitations so Sean could get to know his father. Donahue had been kept away from Sean earlier because of his struggles with drugs and alcohol.
His addiction problems also affected his career. By this time, he was no longer getting big roles and was working in smaller films like “Cry-Baby,” “Bad Blood,” and “Assault of the Party Nerds.”
In 1998, Donahue mentioned in an interview that he was not worried about his career shift to B-films. He felt his career was nearing its end but still considered himself a talented actor despite the critics.
Sadly, Donahue passed away from a heart attack in 2001 at age 65. By then, he had cleaned up his life and built a strong relationship with his son.
Troy was known for his good looks and charm on screen. Although he faced many struggles, he left behind many memorable performances.
The dark-skinned model and the blue-eyed blond had children. Their appearance shows all the best from their parents.
The blonde with blue eyes married the dark-skinned model. And now they have extraordinarily gorgeous kids that combine the greatest qualities of both parents. Now, observe their appearance.
Around the world, people have heard about this unique couple. People in their homeland in Australia are curious about the couple when they stroll through the streets.
The couple is the center of attention for everyone. Would still do! He is a blonde with blue eyes, and she is a breathtakingly beautiful dark-skinned girl. How two such disparate people met and fell in love is a mystery to all!
And this is how it was. The pair had their online meeting. On a dating site, the man came across the profile of his future wife. He was so enamored with her from the very first picture. But given that the stranger was a model, this is hardly shocking. Her looks and physique can make many people envious.
The girl accepted them when they first met. Their love story started then, and two years later he proposed to her. He proposed marriage to his sweetheart in the center of the town square. She concurred. There was video of this heartwarming occasion.
In any case, the video became incredibly popular! People started to follow the unique duo as word of it spread across the Internet. Everyone was pleased for the upcoming family, and there was no hostility.
The wedding quickly happened. All people wanted was for the newlyweds to start a family as soon as possible. It was hard to even picture their offspring looking as gorgeous as they would.
The girl the couple had was amazing. She genuinely absorbed her parents’ best qualities.
The girl had a sister two years later. Even though the baby is only a year old, everyone immediately knows that the sisters will develop into extraordinarily attractive young women.
The pair is in it for their own enjoyment. He is a photographer, and she blogs. They have an intense love for one another and their kids. They also serve as more evidence that love really does rule the world. Furthermore, she cannot be broken by barriers arising from differences in race, nationality, or appearance.
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