Luke Perry, star of Beverly Hills 90210 and Riverdale, has passed away at the age of 52. The actor had a massive stroke last week and had been under observation in the hospital ever since.
TMZ and other outlets all confirmed his passing Monday morning. “He was surrounded by his children Jack and Sophie, fiancé 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,” rep Arnold Robinson told The Hollywood Reporter. “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 rose to fame in the 1990s playing Dylan McKay on the massive hit TV show Beverly Hills 90210. Though that show ended in 2000 after 10 years (only about six of which featured Perry), the role gave the actor legions of new fans and opened up a plethora of other opportunities: the Buffy the Vampire Slayer film, The Fifth Element, 8 Seconds, Oz, and many more. And though those roles got smaller as the years went on, Perry jumped back into the hearts of young and old alike when he was cast as Fred Andrews on Riverdale. As Fred, he gave the show a strong, inspiring moral compass, all with a knowing wink at his teen-idol past.
Here’s a statement from the Riverdale team:
As well as the showrunner.
Though Perry’s rise to fame was through a teen TV show, he endured in Hollywood because of his versatility and willingness to take risks. He never wanted to just be the handsome, brooding leading man. He wanted to be an actor and he was a damn good one at that. Fifty-two is way too young to lose someone like Perry and he will sorely be missed.
Perry will be seen later this summer in Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.
The article was updated with the statements from the Riverdale producers and CW.
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