Luke Perry

Luke Perry
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Name:
Luke Perry
Real name:
Coy Luther Perry III
Who is:
Birth date:
Place of birth:
Mansfield, Ohio, U.S.
Death date:
4 March (52 y.o.)
Cause of death:
find out
Height:
5'9 ft ()
Namesakes:
Birth Sign:
(characteristic)
Chinese zodiac:
Links:

Luke Perry's biography

Luke Perry is an American actor, a star of the Beverly Hills, 90210 series. Due to his role as bad guy Dylan McKay, he became the idol of millions of viewers. Unlike many colleagues on the series, he didn't disappear from the radars: he's racked up over eighty roles in movies and TV shows, and in 2017 he made his mark on the hit series Riverdale.
Actor Luke Perry
Actor Luke Perry

Childhood and youth

The future star's childhood and teen years were spent in Ohio. Coy Luther Perry III was born in Mansfield to a poor American family. His father was a steelworker, his mother was a housewife and raised Luke, his older brother Tom and his younger sister Amy.
Luke Perry and Matthew Perry are not relatives but namesakes.
When Luke was seven, his parents divorced and his mother soon remarried. The family moved to the small village of Fredericktown, where Luke went to first grade. He wasn't exactly a straight-A student, but the whole school was proud of his athletic achievements.
Young Luke Perry
Young Luke Perry
The kid played tennis and football, was on the high school basketball team, and regularly competed in local sports events. Luke even had the honor of becoming Freddie Bird - the school mascot - and was lowered from a helicopter directly onto the football field.

From then on, Luke loved being the center of attention and drawing enthusiastic crowds. So after graduation, he made a decision that surprised his parents - he'd become an actor and head to Los Angeles, the heart of the American film industry and the city of endless opportunities.

First steps

At first, life in the sprawling city was nothing like what the ambitious small-town kid had imagined. At auditions and casting calls, he was usually shown the door, so Luke had to sell shoes, install door handles, and even lay asphalt to make ends meet.
Young Luke Perry
Young Luke Perry
His luck changed in 1985 when he landed a spot alongside Alice Cooper in a music video for the hugely popular rock band Twisted Sister. Finally, directors took notice of the charming, handsome young man who was a natural on camera. Luke landed small roles in the soap operas Loving and Another World, which weren't exactly career highlights but gave the budding actor valuable experience.

Finest Hour

In 1990, Perry was invited to audition for the new teen series Beverly Hills, 90210, which Aaron Spelling was launching. Initially, Luke auditioned for the role of Steve Sanders but lost out to Ian Ziering. But Spelling liked the actor, so the producer offered him the role of Dylan McKay, a secondary character who was a charming bad boy and heartbreaker.
Luke Perry in the Beverly Hills, 90210 series
Luke Perry in the Beverly Hills, 90210 series
Dylan's storyline was originally supposed to last just a couple of episodes. But the character was so loved by the audience that he became one of the central characters of the story.

By summer 1991, it was already clear that the series had become a golden ticket for all the young actors involved. The story of privileged teenagers dealing with the same problems as their middle-class peers became a genuine TV phenomenon of the '90s.
Dylan McKay - Bridges I Burn
For ten seasons, audiences followed the lives of these characters, who had become cultural icons, with devoted fascination. Beverly Hills, 90210 made stars not only of Luke but also Shannen Doherty, Tori Spelling, Jennie Garth, and Jason Priestley. Perry appeared in the series through 1995, starring for six seasons before leaving.
Luke stated that the declining script quality and contrived storylines no longer appealed to him. Later the actor admitted that he didn't want to continue without Spelling, who had been forced out by The CW network.
After leaving the series, Perry transitioned to feature films. He played a cop in the crime drama Normal Life (1995), then appeared in Luc Besson's cult sci-fi hit The Fifth Element (1997). However, Dylan's image was so strongly associated with the actor that audiences struggled to see him in other roles. And his film paychecks were significantly smaller than the substantial amounts he'd earned on the series. So in 1998, the actor returned to Beverly Hills, 90210 (largely for financial reasons) and stayed through the final season in 2000.
Luke Perry in The Fifth Element
Luke Perry in The Fifth Element

Life after The Beverly Hills

Luke wasn't exactly unemployed after the series ended, but he couldn't break through to A-list status. While his filmography includes numerous credits, he was mostly cast in supporting roles. However, in 2001 he made his Broadway debut in a revival of The Rocky Horror Show.

For two seasons (2001–2002), he appeared in the HBO series Oz, then starred for two years in Jeremiah, where he played the lead role of a survivor in a post-apocalyptic world devastated by pandemic.
A shot from the Oz series
A shot from the Oz series
In 2006, the actor joined the cast of Windfall, a drama series about a group of friends who suddenly win the lottery.
On the set of the Jeremiah series
On the set of the Jeremiah series
Over time, the quality of projects Luke chose to participate in declined. It seemed the '90s teen idol had been forgotten, but in 2017 he landed the role of Fred Andrews, Archie's father, in the hit series Riverdale, where Archie is played by KJA. The show's ratings exceeded all expectations, giving the actor what you might call a career renaissance.

Luke Perry's personal life

The charming Luke Perry had several romantic relationships throughout his life, though the actor preferred to keep his personal life private. In 1993, the actor married actress Rachel Sharp, and together they had a son Jack (1997) and a daughter Sophia (2003). Ten years later their marriage ended, but Luke remained devoted to his children and made efforts to spend time with them regularly.
Luke Perry and Rachel Sharp
Luke Perry and Rachel Sharp
According to Zoomboola.com, in 2015 Perry had a pre-cancerous rectal tumor removed that was discovered during a routine examination. The experience was frightening for the actor, and since then he became more attentive to his health while also encouraging his fans to get regular medical checkups.
Luke Perry and his children
Luke Perry and his children

Last years of life and death

The highly anticipated premiere of Quentin Tarantino's Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, featuring Perry alongside stars like Leonardo DiCaprio, Brad Pitt and Al Pacino, took place in summer 2019. There were also talks about the restart of the Beverly Hills 90210 series.
Luke Perry in his youth and now
Luke Perry in his youth and now
Tragically, Luke didn't live to see the premiere - critics had predicted the Tarantino role would mark a major career resurgence. On February 27th, Luke became ill. Doctors diagnosed a stroke. On March 4, 2019, he died at home, surrounded by his loved ones.

Luke Perry: latest news and articles

  • I feel sorry for Perry... Didn`t even know he was dead. I respected and loved him very much.
    2021-05-14 20:29:04
  • I watched «Riverdale» with Luke Perry, but he`s not my favorite character there, to be honest
    2021-04-06 21:04:18
  • This actor annoys me. Where does he have this talent? Yes, and it is ugly at first to speak badly about the project where he was filmed, and then to return there, because there was no money.
    2021-03-06 23:55:30
  • In the series Beverly Hills 90210, I really liked Perry. I loved this show before!
    2021-02-21 17:41:32
  • It would be better if Luke Perry continued to play sports... In his acting career, he did so so
    2021-01-18 20:48:49
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