Entertainment BEAT - FORMER 90210 STAR LUKE PERRY REMEMBERED

Former 90210 TV series star Luke Perry passed away from a stroke at the age of 52 - (photo credit - Alan Light)

Luke Perry speaking at the 2017 WonderCon in Anaheim, California - (photo credit - Gage Skidmore)   Rocky Carroll - (photo credit - Angela George)

James Loving - National Radio Text Service

Perry became a teen idol while playing the part of Dylan McKay on the TV series Beverly Hills, 90210 from 1990 to 1995. He reappeared in the same role again from 1998 to 2000. He also starred as Fred Andrews on the CW series Riverdale

Wednesday, March 06, 2019

DOWN TO EARTH

The passing of 52-year-old Luke Perry was devastating. The former 90210 star passed away as a result of a stroke. Why so young is a mystery, but the actor will be sadly missed.

Following his death many of his former co-stars have acknowledged him for his down to earth personality and being a good human being.

Perry became a teen idol while playing the part of Dylan McKay on the TV series Beverly Hills, 90210 from 1990 to 1995. He reappeared in the same role again from 1998 to 2000. He also starred as Fred Andrews on the CW series Riverdale.

Perry left 90210 in 1995 to seek more mature roles. Due to financial difficulties he returned to the show. The oddity here is Celebrity Net Worth indicates that Perry net worth was $10 million. When he returned to 90210 he did not retain the role of Dylan McKay. Overall Perry appeared in 199 episodes of 90210.

He said of his role on Beverly Hills, 90210 as Dylan McKay: "I'm going to be linked with him until I die, but that's actually just fine. I created Dylan McKay. He's mine."

When he did not reprise his role on the spin-off he stated: "When you're in the professional acting business, you have to look into all these offers, and I don't mean anything bad about it but creatively it's something I have done before and I don't know how it will benefit me if I do it again."

Perry said the fact that the show's longtime producer Aaron Spelling was not involved in the revival was critical: "The difference between CW bringing something back and Aaron Spelling doing something back is significant. And I cannot do it without Aaron."

Perry must have meant a lot to Spelling as well. I interviewed Spelling on a separate occasion and he talked about what he recognizes in what it takes to make a star.

I met Perry prior to the launch of 90210. We sat next to each other at a meet and greet type dinner for the cast to meet the press. The occasion was held on the Fox Television/film studios lot.

Perry was very affable. He introduced himself and we talked throughout the evening which was general conversation and not an interrogation. Although we never met again I often wondered, what happened to him.

In an odd way Perry's name came up again at another media event when I talked to for ROC TV series star Rocky Carroll. Carroll said he and Perry were roommates in New York City when the two were starting out their careers. For those that don't know Carroll is black.

That revelation was indicative to the quality of human being that Perry was. Although largely ignored the entertainment business' racist side is ignored. The compatibility was apparent as the two were down to earth individuals that were very communicative. As I recall Perry was more laid back but expressive and Carroll is more extroverted.

Being down to earth can be traced to his upbringing and work ethic since he wasn't born with a silver spoon in his mouth. He was born on October 11, 1966, in Mansfield, Ohio, the son of Ann Bennett, a homemaker, and Coy Luther Perry Jr., a steelworker. He was raised in Fredericktown, Ohio, and served as the school mascot for Fredericktown High School.

Perry moved to Los Angeles shortly after high school to pursue acting. He worked for an asphalt paving company and in a doorknob factory.

Perry auditioned for 256 acting jobs in New York before getting his first acting job. After appearing in the music video "Be Chrool to Your Scuel" for the band Twisted Sister alongside Alice Cooper, Perry's earliest roles were in the daytime soap operas Loving (1987-88) and Another World (1988-89).

What was shocking was his appearance at the time of his death. Gone was the pretty boy image he honed in his early acting career. He evolved into a mountain man type look similar to the Grizzly Adams TV series image or a present day blue collar worker. That largely defines the veracity of Perry as he matured and stayed with being himself and not trying to lean on the pretty boy image of his youth and 90201.

Many actors lose control when their youthful appearance is no more but Perry appears to have evolved with the times. From 2017 until his death, Perry starred as Frederick "Fred" Andrews, Archie's father, on the CW series Riverdale.

There's really not to much for me to say other than it was shocking to hear that such a good human being could pass away from a stroke at such a young age.