WEDNESDAY CELEBS
Q: I was so sad to hear about Luke Perry’s death. I watched “Beverly Hills 90210” every week with my roommates, and he was our favorite. I know he’s on “Riverdale,” but is there anything else he filmed before his passing? — J.L. A: Luke Perry’s untimely death at age 52 from a stroke was quite shocking. He was engaged to be married and was in the midst of a career resurgence playing, a father on The CW hit series “Riverdale.” His only posthumous project is a big one, a role in the Quentin Tarantino film “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood,” due out this summer. Also starring Brad Pitt, Leonardo DiCaprio and Margot Robbie, it’s set in 1969 when actress Sharon Tate was murdered by the Manson Family.
Former “Celebrity Extra” columnist Cindy Elavsky interviewed Perry three times. During one conversation, she told him how much she loved this simple but profound line his character said in the “Goodnight for Justice” TV movies: “Every man is ordinary until he does an extraordinary thing.” Perry replied to Elavsky: “The best things in life are simple. I’ve always been a fan of the simple things. It doesn’t have to be complicated. It can be that simple, right there, just a thought that sticks in your mind. You’ve got to do something extraordinary at some point in your life.”
*** Q: Where have I seen the female lead in the new show “Whiskey Cavalier”? I haven’t watched an episode — I can’t get past the ridiculous title — but I’ve seen several commercials for it and she looks so familiar. — G.R.
A: “Whiskey Cavalier” is a new series on ABC about an FBI agent and CIA operative who are opposites — making for several funny moments and laying the groundwork for a future romance. Scott Foley plays Will Chase, but his call sign as an agent is Whiskey Cavalier. Reportedly, the show was written to focus mainly on Foley’s character, so that’s why it’s named after him. However, producer Bill Lawrence recently tweeted that when they cast Lauren Cohan as Frankie Trowbridge (who has a unique call sign of her own, Fiery Tribute), they already had a title, but then she was so good, they expanded her role. The most likely place you’ve seen Cohen is in the hit series “Walking Dead,” where she played Maggie since 2011.
*** Q: Is this the last season for “Law & Order: SVU”? Has it been on longer than the original “Law & Order”? — D.S.
A: The “SVU” spinoff is celebrating its 20th season, which puts it in a three-way tie with the original “Law & Order” and “Gunsmoke” as the longestrunning primetime dramas ever. Word is it will be renewed for one more year followed by the launch of a new franchise, “Law & Order: Hate Crimes.”
Email Cindy at King Features Weekly Service at letters@cindyelavsky.com.