Actor Luke Perry has died at 52, prompting Riverdale production shut down

Luke Perry, the prolific TV actor who made his name as heartthrob Dylan in iconic 90s drama series Beverly Hills, 90210, has died. Perry was hospitalised last week Wednesday after suffering a huge stroke at his Los Angeles home. He had been held for observation before his health took a turn for the worst late yesterday, and he passed away in his hospital bed surrounded by his children, fiancé , ex-wife, parents and other family and close friends. He was 52.

Perry had been a huge part of the cast of Beverly Hills, 90210 during the heyday of its 10-year run, but had almost fallen into obscurity since the show’s end in 2000. However, he had recently rekindled his star status on Riverdale, CW’s teen-drama mystery reboot of the classic Archie comics, playing Fred Andrews, the dad of KJ Apa’s lead Archie. Riverdale showrunner Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, and exec producers Greg Berlanti, Sarah Schechter, and Jon Goldwater issued a joint statement in response to Perry’s death:

We are deeply saddened to learn today about the passing of Luke Perry. A beloved member of the Riverdale, Warner Bros. and CW family. Luke was everything you would hope he would be: an incredibly caring, consummate professional with a giant heart, and a true friend to all. A father figure and mentor to the show’s young cast, Luke was incredibly generous, and he infused the set with love and kindness. Our thoughts are with Luke’s family during this most difficult time.

As tributes for Perry from the cast and crew of the production, as well as other Hollywood celebs and past co-stars came pouring in, it was revealed that Riverdale would be temporarily shutting down production. It’s unclear for how long this would be, but it is completely understandable as those who’re close to Perry grieve in this time of loss.

Unfortunately, there’s also the grim logistics of working out how the show will handle Perry’s death. The show had been renewed for a fourth season in January and was in the midst of filming the ordered 22 episodes at the time.

This also comes just a week after it was announced that a new meta-revival of Beverly Hills, 90210 is in the works. The new reality TV-esque show will reportedly see the original cast return to play heightened versions of themselves as they try to launch a Beverly Hills, 90210 revival. Perry had not been announced to join the production, presumably due to his filming commitments on Riverdale.

Last Updated: March 5, 2019