Luke Perry, heartthro
Luke Perry, who gained instant heartthrob status as wealthy rebel Dylan Mckay on Beverly Hills, 90210, died Monday after suffering a massive stroke, his publicist said. He was 52. Perry was surrounded by family and friends when he died, publicist Arnold Robinson said. The actor had been hospitalised since last Wednesday, after a 911 call summoned medical help to his home in the Sherman Oaks section of Los Angeles.
“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,” Robinson said in a statement.
Those at Perry’s bedside included his children, Jake and Sophie; fiancée Wendy Madison Bauer; former wife, Minnie Sharp, and mother Ann Bennett. Although Perry was best-known for his role as Mckay, he enjoyed a prolific film and television career. Most recently, he played construction company owner Fred Andrews, father of main character Archie Andrews, for three seasons on Riverdale, the CW series that gives a dark take on Archie comics. A fourth season has been slated.
The actor’s next big screen role will be in Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time In Hollywood, which is slated for release in July.
Inspired by Paul Newman
Born and raised in rural Fredericktown, Ohio, Perry gained fame on Beverly Hills, 90210, which ran from 1990 to 2000. In a 2006 interview, he recounted being partly inspired to pursue acting by a photo of Paul Newman his mother kept on her mirror. He played out the memory of hearing his mother say, “He’s the most beautiful man in the world, honey ... he’s a movie star.”
“I thought, ‘OK, that’s cool.’n watched him and, ‘Yeah, man, w didn’t want to be Paul Newman
But Perry expanded his inter beyond acting, identifying histo passion and family a priority. “W you are younger you can have o work, and I did for a long time,” in 2006. “But it doesn’t comma attention that way anymore. A l the mysteries and the questions about it I’ve figured out, but life up mysteries every day.”
He had roles in a handful of fi including The Fifth Element, Buff Vampire Slayer, 8 Seconds and A can Strays, appeared in HBO’S p drama Oz as a televangelist con of fraud, and voiced cartoons in The Incredible Hulk and Mortal He made his Broadway musical as Brad in the The Rocky Horror Show, and starred on London’s W End in another stage adaptation film, When Harry Met Sally. In r years he starred in the series Ti Bind and Body of Proof.
The same day he was hospita Fox TV announced that it would running a six-episode return of featuring most of the original c Perry was not among those ann
On the original series, Perry’ acter went from loner to part of knit circle that included twins B and Brandon Walsh (Shannen D Jason Priestley), but also endur string of romantic, family and o setbacks, including drug addict Perry left the series in 1995 to p other roles, returning in 1998 fo rest of the show’s run as a guest In a 2011 interview, Perry said h his male co-stars were a “really strong core group” while the sh and maintained close ties. The ship and trust he shared with Pr created a sort of “shorthand” w came to filming, Perry said.
Me and my Beverly Hills, 90210 male co-stars were a really good strong core group.” Luke Perry