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.
Dolores Catania mentioned that she needs to start using Ozempic again because she thinks she’s gained about 20 pounds over the summer. She said she’s going to get back on it quickly.
Dolores Catania is about to get her next Ozempic dose. She told Page Six at the MTV Video Music Awards that she’s taking her shot the next day and mentioned she’s overdue for it but hasn’t stopped using it.
Dolores Catania, 53, said she gained a few pounds this summer because of her travels. She visited South Africa for conservation work and Lisbon, Portugal for fun.
She mentioned that she’s probably 20 pounds heavier now and needs to start using Ozempic again right away.
Dolores Catania supports her decision to use Ozempic for weight loss, saying that many celebrities do the same, whether openly or privately.
She feels good using it and mentioned that she’s researched it thoroughly and spoken to many doctors, none of whom have said it’s bad for her. She also shared that her boyfriend, Paul Connell, has had great results with Ozempic. He lost 50 pounds and no longer needs blood pressure medication.
Dolores Catania was one of the first celebrities to openly say she uses Ozempic for weight loss, but she told Page Six in April 2023 that she does it for medical reasons.
She explained that she’s dealing with menopause, thyroid issues, and inflammation, which make it hard for her to lose weight. Despite working out and eating well, she was still gaining weight due to these issues.
While Catania has had good results with Ozempic, some people have warned about possible side effects.
Sharon Osbourne has said she’s lost too much weight from using Ozempic and now struggles to gain weight back.
Recently, Lottie Moss, Kate Moss’s younger sister, had to go to the hospital after getting very dehydrated and having a seizure because she took too much of the drug.
A recent study also found that Ozempic has been connected to 162 deaths in the US.
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