Luke Perry, 'Beverly Hills, 90210' and 'Riverdale' Star, Dies at 52

Luke Perry, the Riverdale star and actor best known for his role as Dylan McKay on Beverly Hills, 90210, has died, his rep confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter on Monday. He was 52.

Perry had suffered a massive stroke, his rep Arnold Robinson told THR. "He was surrounded by his children, Jack and Sophie; fiancé, Wendy Madison Bauer; ex-wife, Minnie Sharp; mother, Ann Bennett; stepfather, Steve Bennett; brother, Tom Perry; sister, Amy Coder; and other close family and friends," said Robinson. "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."

The actor was hospitalized after suffering a stroke on Feb. 27 and had been under observation.

News of Perry's hospitalization coincided with the announcement that Fox would be reviving Beverly Hills, 90210, in which Perry played McKay during the original show's run through the 1990s. The upcoming series sees six original stars returning to play heightened versions of themselves; however, Perry is not involved in the project. THR has reached out about the show's status given the news.

Perry's 90210 co-stars, including Ian Ziering and Shannen Doherty, had taken to social media to share their public support after news of his hospitalization last week. Over the weekend, Doherty, who played his on-screen girlfriend Brenda Walsh early on in the Fox drama, said she had been in touch with the actor since his stroke. "I can't talk about it here 'cause I will literally start crying but I love him and he knows I love him. It's Luke, and he's my Dylan," she told ET over the weekend.

"I'm going to be linked with him until I die, but that's actually just fine. I created Dylan McKay. He's mine," the actor once said about the career-defining role.

Fox said in a statement: “Luke will always be part of the FOX family. Our thoughts and prayers are with his loved ones during this extremely difficult time. He will be deeply missed.”

Perry, born Coy Luther Perry III in Mansfield, Ohio Perry had initially auditioned for the role of Steve Sanders (played by Ziering) before being cast as McKay, the resident bad boy of the zip code in 90210.

The brooding millionaire's son would go on to romance Brenda Walsh (played by Doherty) and Kelly Taylor (Jennie Garth) in the Fox teen drama, resulting in two defining TV couples of the '90s. Perry also did not appear in The CW's 90210 reboot, which featured original stars Garth, Doherty and Tori Spelling, when it launched in 2008.

Ziering posted a photo of himself and Perry on Instagram on Monday with the caption, "Dearest Luke, I will forever bask in the loving memories we've shared over the last thirty years. May your journey forward be enriched by the magnificent souls who have passed before you, just like you have done here for those you leave behind. God please give him a seat close to to you, he deserves it."

SAG-AFTRA president Gabrielle Carteris, who played Andrea Zuckerman on 90210, said in a statement on Monday: "I am absolutely heartbroken. Luke was a tremendous force in the lives of so many. He was a very sensitive soul who was kind, generous and he fought for the underdog. He was a strong voice and an advocate who will be so missed by all who knew him. He has left his mark – never to be forgotten. My heart goes out to his family, friends and fans around the globe."

The 52-year-old actor currently stars on The CW's comic book adaptation Riverdale, which films in Vancouver. Production was suspended on Monday.

"We are deeply saddened to learn today about the passing of Luke Perry," said the Riverdale executive producers — Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, Greg Berlanti, Sarah Schechter and Jon Goldwater — Warner Bros. TV and The CW in a statement to THR. "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."

Of his Riverdale role, Perry told THR in January 2017, "I like playing the dad because I like being a dad, and I think it's a great character in the milieu of this show that I'm the grounded one, and I'm the guy who really cares about K.J., who cares about doing a good job and being a good construction worker. I love that."

Writers for the CW show shared their heartbreak via social media. "Luke Perry... you were a joyful and vibrant soul. You will be missed but most certainly your legacy will be remembered forever. Rest in love and peace, friend. #Riverdale," read a post from the writers' room. Molly Ringwald, who played his ex-wife, said her heart was "broken" on Twitter: "I will miss you so much Luke Perry. Sending all my love to your family.

Perry got his acting start on daytime soap operas before 90210 launched him into teen idol fame. He made a marked turn to play Reverend Jeremiah Cloutier on HBO's prison drama Oz, played the titular character on Showtime's Jeremiah, and made appearances on hit TV shows Will & Grace and What I Like About You after landing 90210. He also made a voice cameo to play himself on Fox's The Simpsons in 1993. After 90210 ended its run, Perry's had recurring TV roles on NBC's Windfall, HBO's John From Cincinnati, NBC's FCU: Fact Checkers Unit, ABC's Body of Proof and UPtv's Ties That Bind.

Before 90210, Perry starred in the Buffy the Vampire Slayer movie in 1992. "The first time I met Luke Perry we talked about what kind of movie we wanted 'Buffy' to be. I asked if he’d ever seen 'Near Dark' and he gave me a look of HOW DARE YOU SIR and I knew we’d get along. Funny, committed, and always gracious. He shouldn’t be gone," wrote Buffy series creator Joss Whedon on Monday.

Sarah Michelle Gellar, who would go on to lead the Buffy series, said on Monday that she is comforting Doherty. "My entire high school experience was shaped by Brenda and Dylan. Now I have to hold my dear friend @theshando hand, while she mourns the loss of #lukeperry," she wrote along with a picture of the 90210 pair. "This is not how it’s supposed to happen. I hope his family knows many lives he touched. 'I chose. I chose you. I want you. I’ve always wanted you' - my favorite quote."

Perry was also set to appear on the big screen in Quentin Tarantino’s forthcoming Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, which is currently in post-production, as actor Wayne Maunder.

RIP. He was my wife's age and I'm a year older. Scary.

“At least 40% of strokes could be prevented altogether simply by controlling high blood pressure,” says Joe Korner, director of external affairs at the Stroke Association. This is part of a sad and unnecessary narrative.

The deeper you look into preventative health, the more you end up using the phrase: ‘It’s not as simple as that.’

Dietary heroes and villains are seasonally enthroned and deposed by competing scientists; killer diseases move about our bodies, imperceptible to anything but expensive MRI scans; and despite what the Daily Mail has told you about cancer being caused by... well, everything, a seemingly whimsical pas de deux between genes inherent in our own cells is the deciding factor.

But dodging high BP really can be ‘that simple’. Once you know your numbers, you can bring them down within a month with lifestyle tweaks. Hell, with perfectly good blood pressure monitors available for a tenner (just make sure yours is validated by the British Hypertension Society), you don’t even need to negotiate your GP’s byzantine booking system, let alone endure any of his poking and prodding.

Look at it like that, and the fact there are eight million people in the UK unaware that they have dangerously high blood pressure becomes pretty baffling.

There are many ways to reduce your blood pressure reading. For example, swapping the odd trip to the pub for an extra sting in the gym wouldn't hurt. But, according to Jenner, “the best thing you can do is cut down on your salt intake”.

Researchers from Blood Pressure UK recently estimated that a drop of just 2g a day in our salt consumption could save 9000 lives a year. The days of unthinkingly conducting a sodium maracas shake over your chips are over, soldier.

“Blood pressure goes up gradually over the course of your lifetime, so make some small changes when you’re younger and they’ll have a major effect later on,” says Jenner.