(Photo by Marc Hom/The CW)
Beverly Hills, 90210 and Riverdale star Luke Perry has died at the age of 52 after suffering a massive stroke, his representatives confirmed to Rotten Tomatoes. The actor was surrounded by his family and friends at the time of his passing.
“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 Code, and other close family and friends,” his representatives wrote in a statement. “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.”
The CW and Warner Bros., the network and studio behind Riverdale, also released a statement confirming the news.
“We are deeply saddened to learn today about the passing of Luke Perry. A beloved member of the Riverdale, Warner Bros. and CW family, 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. Our thoughts are with Luke’s family during this most difficult time.”
(Photo by Christopher Fragapane/The CW)
The actor, who rose to superstardom in the ’90s thanks to his role as the ultra-cool Dylan McKay on teen soap Beverly Hills, 90210, starred in films including Buffy the Vampire Slayer, The Fifth Element, and will appear in Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. In addition to 90210 and Riverdale, in which he plays the loving single dad to Archie Comics hero Archie Andrews (KJ Apa), other memorable TV roles include HBO prison drama Oz, the short-lived John from Cincinnati, and a series of Hallmark Westerns, Goodnight for Justice, which he also produced.
Many of Perry’s friends and former costars took to social media to pay tribute to the actor with emotional messages and photos.
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(Photo by Katie Yu/The CW)
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(Photo by Aaron Spelling Prod./Courtesy Everett Collection)
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