On March 4, 2019, iconic star of the small and silver screen Luke Perry passed away at age 52 due to a massive stroke. Perry, who is best knowns for his roles as Dylan McKay on Bevery Hills, 90210 and Fred Andrews on Riverdale, had been a staple of television since he began in commercials in 1988.
Perry’s career began with a few short-lived roles on assorted soaps and various TV commercials before he finally got the role of a lifetime with his turn as Dylan on the ’90s must-watch teen soap. Since then, Perry continued to appear in the public eye for the better part of 30 years.
Memorable roles for the Ohio native included the movie version of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, The Fifth Element, and 8 Seconds, to name a few.
In 2017, the actor nabbed a starring role on the hit show Riverdale, introducing him to a new legion of fans. As Archie’s father Fred, Perry brought an emotional heart of the show, proving once again his star status.
In honor of Luke Perry, here is a look back at the small screen appearances of the late, great actor. You will not be forgotten:
1988: Luke Perry as Kenny on Another World
After small stints on Voyagers! and long-gone soap Loving, Perry finally landing a more featured role on the now-defunct soap Another World.
1989: AT&T “Bo Jackson” Commercial
Back when phones were attached to walls, AT&T employed a 24-year-old Perry for a brief glimpse as the “cool guy” of their commercial.
1990: The First Appearance of Dylan McKay on Beverly Hills, 90210
In the first episode of the teen nighttime soap series, new student Brandon Walsh (Jason Priestley) meets Dylan after the moody teen stood up for soon-to-be series regular and resident dork David Silver.
1991: Luke Perry’s First Entertainment Tonight Interview
“A year ago I was shoveling asphalt, and a year from now I could be doing it again. I think it keeps a good perspective on things as long as you remember that.”
Just 25 years old, Luke was a bonafide teen heartthrob thanks to his turn in Beverly Hill, 90210.
In his first interview with Entertainment Tonight, Perry maintains his down-to-Earth attitude and carefree spirit
1991: Luke Perry on Arsenio Hall
While on the Arsenio Hall Show, the talk show host talked about how Luke’s recent appearance at a Florida mall almost caused riots to break out. After Perry finds out that 21 people were hurt due to appearance, he attempted to reach out personally to make sure they were okay.
As he steps out on the stage, Arsenio can barely contain his own audience, who react to Perry like shrieking Beatles fans.
1992: Luke Perry on Late Night With David Letterman
A dapper-looking Perry stopped by Letterman to talk about Bev Hills rich kid bad boy Dylan McKay, his own high school experiences in Fredricktown, Ohio and the problems he faced in his school experiences.
1993: “Krusty Gets Kancelled” – The Simpsons (Season 4, Episode 22)
In The Simpsons episode “Krusty Gets Kancelled” it is discovered that Luke Perry is the half-brother to Krusty the Klown, whose long-running kiddie show is in deep trouble thanks to low ratings. The estranged siblings reconnect for a brief time to help the former Herschel Shmoikel Pinchas Yerucham Krustofsky get back his audience and defeat his ratings rival Gabbo.
1997: “Hulk of a Different Color” – The Incredible Hulk (Season 2)
Perry career is not limited to just soaps and movies, as the actor also took a turn behind the mic as Rick Jones in the Marvel animated series.
1999: The Night of the Headless Horseman
Another animated outing for Perry in this slightly-outdated CGI Halloween special. William H. Macy, Tia Carrere, Mark Hamill, and Clancy Brown join the actor in the TV movie. In the pic, Perry stars on Brom Bones, the villain of the classic tale.
2013: “Conventions of Space and Time” – Community (Season 4, Episode 3)
Perry made a cameo appearance in the awful, awful, awful reboot of Abed (Danny Pudi) and Troy’s (Donald Glover) favorite sci-fier “Inspector Spacetime.” Thanks to terrible intel from Pierce Hawthorne (Chevy Chase) at the InSpecTiCon convention, the American version of the “beloved series” became a shell of its former self with Perry as Inspector Spacetime and his former 90210 flame Jenny Garth as his companion. Abed was less than thrilled.
2018: “Fire Walk With Me” – Riverdale (Season 3, Episode 14)
In 2017, Perry joined the cast of Archie revamp Riverdale as the supportive Fred Andrew, dad to Archive, father figure to everyone and former husband of Molly Ringwald. As Fred, Perry gave Fred a much-needed update by bringing him into the modern age while providing support to his son and his son’s friends. In essence, he became one of the hearts of the show and introducing his talents to a new generation.