Tragedy struck the cast and crew of The CW‘s Riverdale on Monday, as star, mentor, and friend Luke Perry passed away due to a stroke he suffered last week. In the wake of the terrible news, the Riverdale cameras will stop rolling for a bit.
According to Variety, Riverdale has shut down production for the day following the news of Perry’s passing. It isn’t clear when filming will resume, but the time off is giving the entire Riverdale family the ability to grieve over the loss of their beloved co-worker.
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After starring in Bevery Hills, 90210 in the ’90s, Perry enjoyed a bit of a career resurgence when the Archie Comics-inspired Riverdale began in 2016. Perry was cast out of the gate as Fred Andrews, the father of Archie. Over the course of the show’s three seasons, Perry’s performance made Fred a favorite amongst the fans.
Warner Bros. Television, The CW, and Riverdale executive producers Greg Berlanti, Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, Sarah Schechter, and Jon Goldwater released the following statement regarding Luke Perry’s passing:
“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.”
In addition to upcoming episodes of Riverdale that had already been filmed prior to his death, Perry is set to appear this summer in Quentin Tarantino’s new film, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.
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