‘Riverdale’ and ‘90210’ Star Luke Perry Dead at 52 After Massive Stroke

After suffering a massive stroke at his home last week, star of Riverdale and Beverly Hills, 90210 Luke Perry has passed away, according to TMZ. Perry was 52 years old. He is survived by son Jack and Daughter Sophie, with whom he shared joint custody with ex-wife Rachel Sharp, and fiancé Wendy Madison Bauer.

The actor was discovered in his home last Wednesday morning after having suffered the stroke sometime earlier that day. Perry was initially reported to have been placed in a medically induced coma, only for representatives to clarify that he had been severely sedated to attempt to grapple with the effects of the stroke.

“Actor Luke Perry, 52, passed away today after suffering a massive stroke. He was surrounded by his children Jack and Sophie, fiancé Wendy Madison Bauer, ex-wife Minnie Sharp, mother Ann Bennett, step-father Steven Bennett, brother Tom Perry, sister Amy Coder, and other close family and friends,” reads the statement released through BuzzFeed News.

Perry moved to Los Angeles, California to pursue acting after graduating high school, earning various gigs in commercials and music videos, with his first more substantial roles being in soap operas Loving and Another World. His breakout role came in 1990 with Beverly Hills, 90210, in which he played Dylan McKay.

The teen-oriented drama launched all of its stars into the mainstream, including Jason Priestley, Shannen Doherty, and Tori Spelling. Despite the success of the entire cast, Perry arguably earned the most attention for his role, thanks to his good looks and the character’s tortured, brooding nature. The exposure of the series helped him score a lead role in Joss Whedon’s 1992 film Buffy The Vampire Slayer.

Following the conclusion of Beverly Hills, 90210, Perry starred in a variety of films, such as 8 Seconds and Normal Life. The actor also starred in TV projects like Jeremiah and John From Cincinnati.

One of Perry’s more surprising and acclaimed performances came in HBO’s gritty prison drama Oz, where he played the disturbed preacher Jeremiah Cloutier.

In 2017, Perry returned to the genre that made him a household name, starring as Fred Andrews in the teen drama Riverdale. The role allowed Perry to play a more mature character than his role in Beverly Hills, 90210, now serving as a guardian to a character that had similar traits to his Dylan McKay role.

Last week, a reboot of Beverly Hills, 90210 was announced, though Perry wasn’t reported as returning to the series that helped launch his career.

Our thoughts are with Perry’s loved ones at this time.