‘90210’ & ‘Riverdale’ Actor Luke Perry Has Died At Age 52
Actor Luke Perry, best known for his roles in Riverdale and Beverly Hills, 90210, died on Monday morning at age 52 after suffering a stroke last Wednesday, according to TMZ. Perry's passing comes days after news of a 90210 reboot starring the majority of the original cast was confirmed.
On March 4, TMZ reported that Perry died that morning at St. Joseph's Hospital in Burbank, California, while surrounded by his children, fiancée, ex-wife, and several other family members. He had been hospitalized since suffering a massive stroke on Feb. 27, after which doctors reportedly sedated him in hopes of helping Perry's brain recover. His critical state inspired many former and current co-stars to send messages of support via social media. Perry's team responded to Elite Daily's request for additional comment with the following statement:
Actor Luke Perry, 52, passed away today after suffering a massive stroke. He was surrounded by his children Jack and Sophie, fiancée Wendy Madison Bauer, ex-wife Minnie Sharp, mother Ann Bennett, step-father Steve Bennett, brother Tom Perry, sister Amy Coder, and other close family and friends. The family appreciates the outpouring of support and prayers that have been extended to Luke from around the world, and respectfully request privacy in this time of great mourning. No further details will be released at this time.
Perry first rose to prominence through his role as brooding loner Dylan McKay on the 1990 teen drama Beverly Hills, 90210. Perry was a series regular for the first six seasons before returning toward the end of show's decade-long run. On the same day that Perry's stroke was reported, six original cast members were confirmed for FOX's limited series reboot of Beverly Hills, 90210.
Perry and his co-star Shannen Doherty were absent from the list of committed actors at the time. After Perry was hospitalized, Doherty, who played Dylan's on-and-off girlfriend Brenda, revealed she had spoken to him. She told Entertainment Tonight, "It's Luke, and he's my Dylan... Everybody just keep positive, wonderful thoughts."
Since 2017, Perry has starred as Archie's dad Fred Andrews on The CW series Riverdale. He appeared alongside a group of other former teen stars from the 1980s and '90s playing main characters' parents. According to Variety, the show shut down production when Perry's death was announced. Riverdale executive producers and The CW released a statement saying:
Luke was everything you would hope he would be: an incredibly caring, consummate professional with a giant heart, and a true friend to all. A father figure and mentor to the show’s young cast, Luke was incredibly generous, and he infused the set with love and kindness.
It is still unclear how or when Riverdale will address Perry's death on the show, but the love from his Riverdale and Beverly Hills, 90210 co-stars and colleagues has already begun flooding in online. Tributes from his 90210 co-star Ian Ziering and Molly Ringwald, who plays Fred's wife Mary on Riverdale, have already received plenty of attention. The Twitter account for the Riverdale writers has also recognized the show's loss.
Our thoughts are with Perry's family and friends.
