Heartthrob and ladies’ man Troy Donahue received the shock of his life when he was at rock bottom
”I can remember always being exposed to Broadway and theater people. I can remember sitting with Gertrude Lawrence while she read her reviews in ‘The King and I.’”
He eventually attended Columbia University for journalism but kept his passion alive by acting in stock productions. As he hit screens for the first time, he already had a new name, an agent, and studio executives.
”At first, they had Paris, the lover of Helen of Troy in mind. But I guess they thought they couldn’t name me Paris Donahue because there was already a Paris, France and Paris, Illinois,” he said.
Eventually, the actor made his film debut in Man Afraid. Only two years later, he signed on with Warner Bros – the company which saw his true potential.
