Luke Perry, the actor who rose to fame playing Dylan McKay on the teen drama series Beverly Hills, 90210 throughout the 1990s, has died at age 52 following a stroke.
Perry had been hospitalized since Wednesday, February 27, due to the stroke.
Perry was “surrounded by his children Jack and Sophie, fiancé Wendy Madison Bauer, ex-wife Minnie Sharp, mother Ann Bennett, stepfather Steve Bennett, brother Tom Perry, sister Amy Coder, and other close family and friends” when he died, according to a statement provided to Variety by a representative for Perry. “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 massive stroke that landed Perry in the hospital was initially reported by TMZ and later confirmed by Variety and other outlets. Perry was transported to the hospital after paramedics received a call reporting a medical emergency at the actor’s California residence.
After spending nearly a decade as a regular cast member on 90210, followed by roles in various big- and small-screen projects, the actor recently found his way back in front of television cameras with a regular role on Riverdale, The CW’s live-action drama series based on the universe of Archie Comics. Perry portrays Fred Andrews, the father of the series’ lead character, Archie Andrews.
Coincidentally, Perry’s hospitalization occurred within 24 hours of an announcement that 90210 would be the subject of a revival series that would bring back much of the show’s original cast. Perry was not included among the announced cast members returning for the revival, but his former 90210 co-star Tori Spelling — who will be returning for the revival series — indicated that Perry would return for occasional appearances as Dylan when his work on Riverdale allowed time for him to do so.
Apart from his featured roles on 90210 and Riverdale, Perry has appeared in multiple films during his long career, with 1994’s rodeo drama 8 Seconds the most prominent of his big-screen projects. Perry’s acting career has been primarily centered on television, with both on-screen roles and voice-acting performances on a long list of shows over the years.
There’s been no official word from The CW on how Perry’s death will affect Riverdale, which premiered in 2017 to positive reviews and is currently in the midst of its third season, which premiered in October 2018. The show was renewed earlier this year by The CW for a fourth season, which does not have a premiere date at this point.
Updated on March 4, 2019: This article has been updated to confirm Luke Perry’s death.
