Still tough to talk about. KJ Apa opened up about his Riverdale costar Luke Perry’s death, as well as their close father-son relationship throughout the years.
“It’s not every day you come across a guy like Luke,” he told Jimmy Fallon on The Tonight Show on Friday, April 26. “Luke is the kind of person who did everything he can to make whoever you are, no matter how big or small you are, feel comfortable and feel welcome. It’s hard to kind of put into words how that makes me feel.”
Even though they played father-and-son duo Fred Andrews and Archie Andrews, Apa discussed Perry’s paternal instincts towards him while they were off-set, as well: “He would call my parents every week and keep them updated on how I’m doing,” the New Zealand actor said.
The CW star continued with a sweet anecdote: “If I had a cold or something he’d be like, ‘I got him, I brought some Gatorade to his apartment the other day.’” He added, “Him and my dad were always texting each other and stuff.”
Three days after the Beverly Hills, 90210 star died from massive stroke on March 4, Apa posted an Instagram photo of Perry wearing sunglasses on a boat. “Rest in Love bro.” he captioned the moving pic.
“He made such a huge effort from the very beginning,” Apa said. “I wish I could be like that.”
Perry made his final Riverdale appearance on the Wednesday, April 24 episode. The clip included one scene with his character, Fred Andrews, giving advice to his son, Archie, played by Apa. He talks about the death of Randy (Darcy Hinds), explaining that everything is going to be OK and that he’s not responsible for Randy’s demise.
