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.
Couple found something that they thought was a common stone – at closer look, they realized its true value
Valuable items can occasionally be seen but remain hidden. While out for a stroll, a couple saw what they initially believed to be a rock. Upon closer examination, it was revealed to be something quite else.
Discover what incredible discovery they made by continuing to read.
Overton, Lancashire residents Gary and Angela Williams were taking it easy on the beach when they noticed something completely out of the ordinary. They came upon what they initially believed to be a common rock while strolling along Middleton Sands Beach in the United Kingdom. However, upon closer inspection, they discovered it to be something quite different.
Intrigued, they noticed something that had washed up on the beach. They chose to examine it more closely. At first, the pair believed it looked like an egg from a dinosaur or something prehistoric. Intrigued, they made the decision to learn more.
https://googleads.g.doubleclick.net/pagead/ads?gdpr=0&client=ca-pub-3764810839868565&output=html&h=183&slotname=8851483697&adk=1469159098&adf=1228460536&pi=t.ma~as.8851483697&w=730&fwrn=4&lmt=1712066137&rafmt=11&format=730×183&url=https%3A%2F%2Favokaddo.com%2F2024%2F03%2F20%2Fcouple-found-something-that-they-thought-was-a-common-stone-at-closer-look-they-realized-its-true-value%2F%3Ffbclid%3DIwAR21cjntzxa0FsFZz-1QTV-LPtvM2MZzAkCP5bBQ3kIMDyba5KCiKnKdYVE_aem_ASCnvfPJ_kwlynMXL2wz-h9F_Ra3Dq7Lgcdr0AA0vMnJfUeqHdJdaH2tmGEffgMaNn4zTMI8piM1X3LQF59rT04T&wgl=1&uach=WyJXaW5kb3dzIiwiMTUuMC4wIiwieDg2IiwiIiwiMTA3LjAuNTA0NS43OSIsbnVsbCwwLG51bGwsIjY0IixbWyJOb3QgQShCcmFuZCIsIjk5LjAuMC4wIl0sWyJPcGVyYSBHWCIsIjEwNy4wLjUwNDUuNzkiXSxbIkNocm9taXVtIiwiMTIxLjAuNjE2Ny4xODYiXV0sMF0.&dt=1712066103084&bpp=1&bdt=2622&idt=1001&shv=r20240327&mjsv=m202403270101&ptt=9&saldr=aa&abxe=1&cookie=ID%3Df147c99c20c808c3%3AT%3D1712066104%3ART%3D1712066104%3AS%3DALNI_MbQZUwQS3t0vftqDd4WKRBPSJTsXA&gpic=UID%3D00000d7f4a617f97%3AT%3D1712066104%3ART%3D1712066104%3AS%3DALNI_MbzMvSAPCegAX7SMHsAaJTXS-Ucww&eo_id_str=ID%3Df2c4ebfb6f5bdfb3%3AT%3D1712066104%3ART%3D1712066104%3AS%3DAA-AfjaMLQ-U9c0_dsSktLq-Pz3c&prev_fmts=0x0%2C1100x280%2C1481x762%2C730x183&nras=2&correlator=5546171324948&frm=20&pv=1&ga_vid=1330846553.1712066103&ga_sid=1712066104&ga_hid=494653614&ga_fc=1&rplot=4&u_tz=420&u_his=1&u_h=864&u_w=1536&u_ah=864&u_aw=1536&u_cd=24&u_sd=1.25&dmc=8&adx=190&ady=1790&biw=1481&bih=762&scr_x=0&scr_y=0&eid=44759875%2C44759926%2C44759842%2C42531706%2C44795922%2C31082332%2C95322183%2C95328825&oid=2&pvsid=4055703272845522&tmod=405680396&uas=0&nvt=1&ref=https%3A%2F%2Fl.facebook.com%2F&fc=1920&brdim=0%2C0%2C0%2C0%2C1536%2C0%2C0%2C0%2C1495%2C762&vis=1&rsz=%7C%7CopeEbr%7C&abl=CS&pfx=0&fu=128&bc=31&bz=0&psd=W251bGwsbnVsbCxudWxsLDNd&ifi=4&uci=a!4&btvi=2&fsb=1&dtd=34058
Their curiosity paid off, as they chose to examine the object in further detail. They had inadvertently discovered ambergris, a material that is extremely valuable.
https://googleads.g.doubleclick.net/pagead/ads?gdpr=0&client=ca-pub-3764810839868565&output=html&h=183&slotname=3197500636&adk=788230268&adf=3241251536&pi=t.ma~as.3197500636&w=730&fwrn=4&lmt=1712066137&rafmt=11&format=730×183&url=https%3A%2F%2Favokaddo.com%2F2024%2F03%2F20%2Fcouple-found-something-that-they-thought-was-a-common-stone-at-closer-look-they-realized-its-true-value%2F%3Ffbclid%3DIwAR21cjntzxa0FsFZz-1QTV-LPtvM2MZzAkCP5bBQ3kIMDyba5KCiKnKdYVE_aem_ASCnvfPJ_kwlynMXL2wz-h9F_Ra3Dq7Lgcdr0AA0vMnJfUeqHdJdaH2tmGEffgMaNn4zTMI8piM1X3LQF59rT04T&wgl=1&uach=WyJXaW5kb3dzIiwiMTUuMC4wIiwieDg2IiwiIiwiMTA3LjAuNTA0NS43OSIsbnVsbCwwLG51bGwsIjY0IixbWyJOb3QgQShCcmFuZCIsIjk5LjAuMC4wIl0sWyJPcGVyYSBHWCIsIjEwNy4wLjUwNDUuNzkiXSxbIkNocm9taXVtIiwiMTIxLjAuNjE2Ny4xODYiXV0sMF0.&dt=1712066103085&bpp=1&bdt=2622&idt=1000&shv=r20240327&mjsv=m202403270101&ptt=9&saldr=aa&abxe=1&cookie=ID%3Df147c99c20c808c3%3AT%3D1712066104%3ART%3D1712066104%3AS%3DALNI_MbQZUwQS3t0vftqDd4WKRBPSJTsXA&gpic=UID%3D00000d7f4a617f97%3AT%3D1712066104%3ART%3D1712066104%3AS%3DALNI_MbzMvSAPCegAX7SMHsAaJTXS-Ucww&eo_id_str=ID%3Df2c4ebfb6f5bdfb3%3AT%3D1712066104%3ART%3D1712066104%3AS%3DAA-AfjaMLQ-U9c0_dsSktLq-Pz3c&prev_fmts=0x0%2C1100x280%2C1481x762%2C730x183%2C730x183&nras=2&correlator=5546171324948&frm=20&pv=1&ga_vid=1330846553.1712066103&ga_sid=1712066104&ga_hid=494653614&ga_fc=1&rplot=4&u_tz=420&u_his=1&u_h=864&u_w=1536&u_ah=864&u_aw=1536&u_cd=24&u_sd=1.25&dmc=8&adx=190&ady=2603&biw=1481&bih=762&scr_x=0&scr_y=0&eid=44759875%2C44759926%2C44759842%2C42531706%2C44795922%2C31082332%2C95322183%2C95328825&oid=2&pvsid=4055703272845522&tmod=405680396&uas=0&nvt=1&ref=https%3A%2F%2Fl.facebook.com%2F&fc=1920&brdim=0%2C0%2C0%2C0%2C1536%2C0%2C0%2C0%2C1495%2C762&vis=1&rsz=%7C%7CopeEbr%7C&abl=CS&pfx=0&fu=128&bc=31&bz=0&psd=W251bGwsbnVsbCxudWxsLDNd&ifi=5&uci=a!5&btvi=3&fsb=1&dtd=34073
https://googleads.g.doubleclick.net/pagead/ads?gdpr=0&client=ca-pub-3764810839868565&output=html&h=183&slotname=2267562348&adk=159546671&adf=384721286&pi=t.ma~as.2267562348&w=730&fwrn=4&lmt=1712066137&rafmt=11&format=730×183&url=https%3A%2F%2Favokaddo.com%2F2024%2F03%2F20%2Fcouple-found-something-that-they-thought-was-a-common-stone-at-closer-look-they-realized-its-true-value%2F%3Ffbclid%3DIwAR21cjntzxa0FsFZz-1QTV-LPtvM2MZzAkCP5bBQ3kIMDyba5KCiKnKdYVE_aem_ASCnvfPJ_kwlynMXL2wz-h9F_Ra3Dq7Lgcdr0AA0vMnJfUeqHdJdaH2tmGEffgMaNn4zTMI8piM1X3LQF59rT04T&wgl=1&uach=WyJXaW5kb3dzIiwiMTUuMC4wIiwieDg2IiwiIiwiMTA3LjAuNTA0NS43OSIsbnVsbCwwLG51bGwsIjY0IixbWyJOb3QgQShCcmFuZCIsIjk5LjAuMC4wIl0sWyJPcGVyYSBHWCIsIjEwNy4wLjUwNDUuNzkiXSxbIkNocm9taXVtIiwiMTIxLjAuNjE2Ny4xODYiXV0sMF0.&dt=1712066103086&bpp=1&bdt=2624&idt=1690&shv=r20240327&mjsv=m202403270101&ptt=9&saldr=aa&abxe=1&cookie=ID%3Df147c99c20c808c3%3AT%3D1712066104%3ART%3D1712066104%3AS%3DALNI_MbQZUwQS3t0vftqDd4WKRBPSJTsXA&gpic=UID%3D00000d7f4a617f97%3AT%3D1712066104%3ART%3D1712066104%3AS%3DALNI_MbzMvSAPCegAX7SMHsAaJTXS-Ucww&eo_id_str=ID%3Df2c4ebfb6f5bdfb3%3AT%3D1712066104%3ART%3D1712066104%3AS%3DAA-AfjaMLQ-U9c0_dsSktLq-Pz3c&prev_fmts=0x0%2C1100x280%2C1481x762%2C730x183%2C730x183%2C730x183&nras=2&correlator=5546171324948&frm=20&pv=1&ga_vid=1330846553.1712066103&ga_sid=1712066104&ga_hid=494653614&ga_fc=1&rplot=4&u_tz=420&u_his=1&u_h=864&u_w=1536&u_ah=864&u_aw=1536&u_cd=24&u_sd=1.25&dmc=8&adx=190&ady=2810&biw=1481&bih=762&scr_x=0&scr_y=0&eid=44759875%2C44759926%2C44759842%2C42531706%2C44795922%2C31082332%2C95322183%2C95328825&oid=2&pvsid=4055703272845522&tmod=405680396&uas=0&nvt=1&ref=https%3A%2F%2Fl.facebook.com%2F&fc=1920&brdim=0%2C0%2C0%2C0%2C1536%2C0%2C0%2C0%2C1495%2C762&vis=1&rsz=%7C%7CopeEbr%7C&abl=CS&pfx=0&fu=128&bc=31&bz=0&psd=W251bGwsbnVsbCxudWxsLDNd&ifi=6&uci=a!6&btvi=4&fsb=1&dtd=34079
It smelled bad, but at first they thought it looked interesting. The material is highly valuable in terms of money. In the perfume industry, it is highly sought after and is a key fixative in many upscale, luxury perfumes.
The digestive tract of sperm whales forms ambergris when they swallow sharp things, such as the beaks of squid, which is one of their favorite foods. To prevent damage to the intestinal lining, the whale’s intestines release a sticky material that encapsulates these foreign things. These accumulated leftovers gradually harden into lumps of different sizes and are sent out through regurgitation or feces. This mixture turns into a solid product with a particular aromatic scent when exposed to sunshine and seawater, according to specialists.
The chunk of Ambergris they found smelled strongly like wax and had a waxy feel. Gary said it smelled like fish and organic fertilizers. Despite its unappealing appearance, the material was extremely valuable.
The quantity they discovered was 1.5 kg, and they calculated its estimated value to be $70,000! However, as ambergris is frequently connected to the illicit activity of whaling, possessing it is prohibited in some nations.
See the tale of a family who discovered unexpected buried gems underneath.
Who would have guessed that an odd-looking “rock” could be so valuable? Because life might throw you for a loop, it’s always a good idea to be interested. Talk to your friends and relatives about this amazing story.
Leave a Reply