Luke ‘biggest accomplishment’ was his kids, says shannen Doherty
Shannen Doherty IS devastated over the loss of her former co-star and friend Luke Perry. “I am in shock. Heartbroken. Devastated by the loss of my friend. I have so many memories with Luke that make me smile and that are forever imprinted on my heart and mind,” Doherty, 47, told people. com about Perry.
Doherty starred alongside Perry in Beverly Hills, 90210 for years the actress as Brenda Walsh and Perry as Dylan Mckay. Although the co-stars drifted apart when the show went off air, they reconnected after Doherty went public with her breast cancer diagnosis in 2015. “Luke was a smart, quiet, humble and complex man with a heart of gold and never-ending well of integrity and love. Luke reached out to me during my cancer journey and we picked right back up, albeit older and wiser, but that connection remained intact,” said Doherty.
Although the actors weren’t signed on to return for the upcoming Beverly Hills, 90210 reboot alongside their original castmates, both Doherty and Perry hoped to work together again on “something special and meaningful” for fans. During their time spent together, Doherty remembers how often and fondly Perry spoke of his two children - son Jack, 21, and daughter Sophie, 18. “Luke loved his family. He raved about his kids and how proud he was of them. He showed me videos of them often,” said Doherty. “They were his heart and Luke Perry in a and for him, his biggest accomplishment.”
Just weeks before his death, Doherty met up for lunch with her longtime friend and his dog, Penny. “A couple of weeks ago in February, Luke and I met up for lunch. He chose the restaurant based on who would allow his dog,” says Doherty. “I walked in and there he was, smiling, with his dog Penny and her bed under the booth, happy as can be,” said the actress. “I will never forget - and will miss - Luke looking at me with that smile of his saying... Shan.”