Biographie

During the early 1980s, his personal and professional fortunes had sunk so low that he was literally homeless; sleeping on a bench in New York's Central Park.

After his father's death, at age 14 Troy was sent to military school. As a cadet, he became friends with a classmate, Francis Ford Coppola. This led to his being cast in Le parrain II (1974).

Along with Doug McClure, was the inspiration for Les Simpsons (1989) character "Troy McClure".

Used his real name, Merle Johnson, for his character in Le parrain II (1974).

After suffering a heart attack on August 30, 2001, he underwent successful angioplasty surgery upon his arrival at the hospital, but then suffered a second heart attack the following day and was given a heart bypass operation.

[Discussing his role in Vacances d'été (1959), with Sandra Dee] What I did basically was knock up Gidget, and you just don't do that!

By 1968, I had to declare personal bankruptcy and lost my house. I was living like a movie star, but wasn't being paid like one. I lived way over my head and got into great trouble and lost everything. I went from a beautiful home, garden, swimming pool in Beverly Hills to living in shabby apartments in downtown Hollywood. By 1970, I was loaded all the time... I'd wake up about 6:30 in the morning, take three aspirins mixed with codeine, slug down half a pint of vodka and then do four lines of cocaine. That was just so I could get the front door open to peek out and see if I could face the day... I would lie, steal and cheat, all those wonderful things that drunks do to get money. I was crafty. Nobody knew how much I drank then. If a bottle was out on the counter, I'd take a swig when I passed it and quickly put it back.

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'.

In most of those early films I did for Universal pictures, if you went out for popcorn you missed me.

It took guts for me to walk out of Hollywood, but it would have been worse to stay. I had a house, seven black Cadillac convertibles, and two wrecked marriages. I already had my head turned; turning back was easy. It doesn't matter if I have a beard or a crew-cut. People respond to me because I have a human quality. I know I'll be put down by Hollywood, but I don't speak to anybody out there anyway... I smoke grass and ride cycles, my lifestyle is casual, but I'm not a dope fiend or a hippie freak. I've found strength in Jesus Christ and he's easier to follow than Zen Buddhism. I'm not strung out. I'm a very reasonable, professional actor.