Prior to his death on Monday, March 4, Luke Perry wasn’t involved in Fox’s revival of Beverly Hills, 90210, even though the show made him a household name in the 1990s. In fact, former costar Jason Priestley once told Us Weekly that the 52-year-old had totally moved on.
“I can honestly tell you that Luke has no interest in coming back to the show” Priestley, 49, told Us in 2008. The following year, Perry himself told Us he wasn’t interested in acting anymore. And when asked about the idea of a 90210 reunion in 2013, the actor told Us, “I don’t see it.”
Ultimately, Perry did continue his acting career, starring as Fred Andrews on The CW’s Riverdale. That job meant he couldn’t sign on as a full-time cast member of the 90210 revival, but former costar Tori Spelling told Access Live in February 2019 that Perry would “do as many [episodes] as he can do.”
Joining Priestley and Spelling in the revival are original cast members Jennie Garth, Ian Ziering, Gabrielle Carteris and Brian Austin Green, all of whom will play “heightened versions of themselves.”
Perry’s rep confirmed the actor’s death in a statement to Us on Monday. “[Perry] 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,” the statement read. “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.”
Many of Perry’s former colleagues have paid tribute to the actor on social media. “Dearest Luke, I will forever bask in the loving memories we’ve shared over the last thirty years,” Ziering wrote on Instagram. “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.”
Christine Elise McCarthy, who recurred on the show, wrote: “I am still in shock and I have no words beyond saying he was a truly kind gentleman. He will be mourned and missed by everyone who know him and the millions who love him. RIP, dearie Luke. Your time here was far too short.”
With reporting by Carlene Davis
