Riverdale’s Luke Perry Passes Away After A Massive Stroke

 

Despite the best of hopes, there is sad news out of Hollywood this morning as Variety reports Riverdale‘s Luke Perry has passed away at age 52. The actor, who first came to television prominence on the 1990s Fox soap Beverly Hills, 90210 was rushed to a Burbank area hospital last Wednesday. At the time, TMZ reported his condition as a “massive stroke,” but that was never confirmed despite tape of an ambulance dispatcher reporting the incident as a stroke. His reps told The Hollywood Reporter that the actor was “under observation at the hospital” and later denied reports he was in a medically induced coma.
Today, his reps finally confirmed Perry did indeed suffer a massive stroke.
In response to the earlier news, Riverdale‘s producers announced their production schedule would be reworked to allow the actor time to recuperate. Now, it is unclear what will become of his character, Archie’s (KJ Apa) father Fred Andrews. As it happens, the character’s role on the show was always supporting and had been scaled back for some time. His most recent appearance saw him and the other members of the Midnight Club dealing with a series of letters imploring them to finish their incomplete Gryphons & Gargoyles session. When it turned out to be a trick to kidnap their children, Fred raced to Archie’s side.
Condolences are of course pouring from all corners of the entertainment world as the actor was said to be good man with a self-deprecating manner; particularly about his fame, which he famously lampooned on an episode of The Simpsons. We, of course, add our own condolences to his family, friends and co-workers.