Actor Luke Perry, known for roles in Beverly Hills 90210 and Riverdale, died on Monday after suffering a massive stroke on Wednesday. He was 52.
“[Perry] was surrounded by his children Jack and Sophie, fiancé Wendy Madison Bauer, ex-wife Minnie Sharp, mother Ann Bennett, step-father Steve Bennett, brother Tom Perry, sister Amy Coder, and other close family and friends,” his rep said in a statement. “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.”
Born in Mansfield, Ohio, Perry moved to Los Angeles after high school to pursue acting. His TV career began when he was 16, and the actor cut his teeth acting in soap operas like ABC’s Loving and Another World on NBC, and doing voice work for animated series such as The Incredible Hulk and Biker Mice From Mars.
However, in 1990 Perry became a household name for playing the brooding loner Dylan McKay on the smash hit teen drama Beverly Hills, 90210 on Fox. The show became a phenomenon, catapulting Perry to full-blown teen idol status. He appeared on a racy Vanity Fair cover in July 1992.
Perry had two runs on 90210, one from 1990 to 1995 and another from 1998 to the show’s end in 2000, during which time his character struggled with alcohol abuse and drug addiction, and went through a series of tumultuous relationships with several other main characters including Brenda (played by Shannen Doherty) and Kelly (played by Jennie Garth).
Coincidentally, Perry was hospitalized the same day Fox announced a six-episode revival of the show, featuring returning cast members Jason Priestley, Jennie Garth, Ian Ziering, Gabrielle Carteris, Brian Austin Green, and Tori Spelling. Perry had not been announced to return.
He co-starred, opposite Kristy Swanson, in the 1992 movie Buffy the Vampire Slayer. While starring in 90210, Perry made a brief appearance as Billy Masterson in Luc Besson’s whacky sci-fi pic The Fifth Element in 1997. He co-starred in the quirky 2007 HBO series John From Cincinnati, and had recurring roles on series including Jeremiah, Oz, and What I Like About You.
