Actor Luke Perry has passed away at the age of 52. Perry had suffered a massive stroke at home on February 27, and died from complications on May 4.
Perry’s most famous role is the one that first brought him recognition, and that’s as Dylan McKay on Beverly Hills, 90210. Dylan was one of the series’ most well-received characters, and Perry appeared in 199 of the series’ 293-run, appearing in the first six seasons, as well as the ninth and tenth seasons. The series caused Perry to gain immense popularity as a teen idol.
Perry’s career remained largely in television, with a recurring appearance on Oz, voicing himself in animated series such as Family Guy, The Simpsons, and Johnny Bravo, as well as making guest appearances in Criminal Minds and Will & Grace. Perry’s second big TV stint after 90210 was as the titular character in Showtime’s Jeremiah, a post-apocalyptic drama that deal with the after-effects of a plague. Despite plans for a five-season run and being critically well-received, a change in Showtime’s administration lead to the cancellation of the show after two seasons.
Perry’s final television role was as part of the main cast of Riverdale, as Fred Andrews, father of main character Archie Andrews. It is unknown at this time how the show will address Perry’s death - whether the character will be written out or recast.
Perry’s film career mainly consisted of TV movies and direct-to-video projects, though he was in a small amount of bigger films. His first big film role was starring in Buffy the Vampire Slayer, a more comedic take on the character that was made before the much darker, more critically acclaimed TV series of the same name.
Perry’s only other big film role released in his lifetime was in a supporting role in The Fifth Element. While he appeared in other movies that were not direct to TV or video, many of these were lower key releases that flew mostly under the radar.
Perry will be seen on the big screen one more time this year in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, Quentin Tarantino’s crime drama that’s set around the time of the Sharon Tate murder. Perry will portray actor Wayne Maunder. This will be Perry's final and only posthumous role.
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