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Celebrities & Co-Stars React To News Of Luke Perry's Sudden Death

Kaitlin Reilly
Last Updated March 5, 2019, 3:50 PM
Photo: Monica Schipper/WireImage/Getty Images.
On Monday, Riverdale star Luke Perry died at 52. The actor was hospitalized following a stroke last week.
Following reports of his death, Perry’s friends, former co-workers, and Riverdale co-stars reached out to express their sorrow.
Riverdale executive producers Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, Greg Berlanti, Sarah Schechter, and Jon Goldwater, as well as Warner Bros. Television and The CW released a statement to Refinery29.
"We are deeply saddened to learn today about the passing of Luke Perry. A beloved member of the Riverdale, Warner Bros. and CW family, Luke was everything you would hope he would be: an incredibly caring, consummate professional with a giant heart, and a true friend to all. A father figure and mentor to the show’s young cast, Luke was incredibly generous, and he infused the set with love and kindness. Our thoughts are with Luke’s family during this most difficult time.”
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Aguirre-Sacasa also tweeted his own message.
"So heartbroken about Luke. He was a father, brother, friend, and mentor. Each night before he had to shoot a scene, he’d call me and we’d talk about...everything. I will miss those calls. And my heart goes out to all his family and friends."
The Riverdale writers room also shared a statement on Twitter.
“Luke Perry... you were a joyful and vibrant soul. You will be missed but most certainly your legacy will be remembered forever. Rest in love and peace, friend.”
“My heart is broken,” tweeted Molly Ringwald, who plays his character Fred Andrews’ ex-wife on Riverdale. “I will miss you so much Luke Perry. Sending all my love to your family.”
She added in a statement to Refinery29:
"I can't even begin to express the shock and sorrow I feel by the untimely death of my friend Luke Perry. He was one of the kindest, caring souls I've ever worked with. An incredible committed and proud father to his kids and a constant loyal friend to those he loved. I consider myself so lucky to have counted myself among them. With the many other people who adored him, his loss will be felt for a long long time. I miss him terribly."
"When I was lucky enough to work with Luke Perry I told him about the pillow of his face I used to sleep with and he yelled 'You are such a weirdo!' at me and it was the best," wrote Leslie Grossman, who appeared alongside Perry when he guested on her series What I Like About You. "Sending love to his friends and family."
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Ashley Tisdale shared her own memory of Perry on Instagram.
"My heart hurts. One of my first jobs was a guest appearance on 90210. My scenes were with Luke. I had a crush on him for so long and getting to work with him was a dream come true. I just remember him being a super humble and really nice guy."
Charlie Sheen wrote an emotional message to the actor on Twitter.
"L.P. you made every situation better, my man. your elegance your wit your charm and your giant heart, inspired and enchanted so many of us, on countless occasions, with brilliant aplomb. R.I.P good sir. i am truly honored to have known you all of these years."
Olivia Munn also shared kind words:
"Luke Perry was my 1st crush. Eh, more like obsession (I wore pins w his face on them to school) I used to dream of making it to LA just to meet him. I never got to, but I've always heard he was a really great person. Praying for his family & kids.... Rest in love."
Ian Ziering, who starred with Perry on Beverly Hills, 90210, said:
"Dearest Luke, I will forever bask in the loving memories we've shared over the last thirty years. 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."
In a statement to Refinery29, Beverly Hills, 90210 co-star Gabrielle Carteris and SAG-AFTRA President said:
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"I am absolutely heartbroken. Luke was a tremendous force in the lives of so many. He was a very sensitive soul who was kind, generous and he fought for the underdog. He was a strong voice and an advocate who will be so missed by all who knew him. He has left his mark – never to be forgotten. My heart goes out to his family, friends and fans around the globe."
Riverdale actress Robin Givens said in a statement to Refinery29:
"I am crushed and so sad to hear about his passing. He was the kindest and gentlest soul the world will ever know. I will remember fondly all our late night conversations and dinners. He cared so much about so many people and was beloved by all who knew him. He was a true friend. Such a big loss."
Perry's former agent Chris Nassif expressed his condolences in a statement to Refinery29.
"Luke will be missed, a friend gone way too soon. It seems like yesterday that I was Luke’s agent negotiating his role on Beverly Hills, 90210. I would like to express my condolences to his family and friends during this difficult time."
Toni Topaz portrayer Vanessa Morgan shared a photo with her Riverdale co-star:
"Angel, no words."
Lili Reinhart shared:
"I’m finding it hard to grasp that he will no longer be around to give long hugs and share his wisdom and kindness with all of us. I’m thinking of his family. His children. I pray for them to heal and find peace in this devastating loss."
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Riverdale star Madchen Amick wrote:
"I'm so thankful for the time that we had together. He was an incredibly loving and generous man. My thoughts and prayers are with his family right now. I will love you forever Luke."
Ross Butler, who played Reggie on season 1 of Riverdale, wrote on Instagram:
"We lost an original today. A legend. He paved the way for us. Although we didn't work much together, he always greeted me with a smile, had a joke ready, and a story to tell. Rest in peace, Luke. Rest easy."
Altered Carbon and Riverdale actress Hayley Law wrote:
"my heart is heavy. One of the kindest men I’ve met since I began this journey has passed. Someone who always encouraged me and everyone on set. Luke genuinely cared about everyone he worked with, and if you work in entertainment, you know how special that is. You offered to co-sign for my car when the dealership wouldn’t let me finance it. I’m so lucky I was able to call you a friend in this life, Luke. It’s hard to believe. Condolences to your family and friends. I hope you are at peace. I hope you are happy and safe. You deserve the most beautiful afterlife."
Riverdale actress Nathalie Boltt, who plays Penelope Blossom on the series, shared a Maya Angelou quote along with this message:
"Luke made people feel safe and valued and welcome. Luke made us laugh. He certainly made me laugh. He was gracious, kind; a gentleman. But most of all he was a fine, fine father and my friend. Thank you, Luke. We miss you. Stay close."
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Beverly Hills, 901210 actress Shannen Doherty gave People an exclusive, moving statement reflecting on her friendship with Perry and his support during her breast cancer diagnosis:
“I am in shock. Heartbroken. Devastated by the loss of my friend. I have so many memories with Luke that make me smile and that are forever imprinted on my heart and mind. Luke was a smart, quiet, humble and complex man with a heart of gold and never-ending well of integrity and love. Luke reached out to me during my cancer journey and we picked right back up, albeit older and wiser, but that connection remained in tact. There is a special kind of love one has for each other when you are experiencing the journey we did on 90210 and of course life in general. Luke and I were working on show ideas for us. We wanted to work with each other again and create something special and meaningful for our fans at this stage in our lives. I will miss him everyday. Every minute. Every second."
Colin Hanks took to Instagram to share a story of when Perry saved the day on a plane ride, giving balloons to two fighting children and restoring peace to the flight.
View this post on Instagram

I only met him once but the story is too good not tell given todays sad events. My wife and I are on a plane back from Mexico. Couple of rows ahead of us, these two brothers, young kids, are beating the hell out of eachother. Their poor parents are powerless to stop the crying, yelling and screaming. If you're a parent you understand. Sometimes there's nothing you can do. It was like this for close to two hours. Then about 10 minutes before landing it starts to get real bad. Out of no where, a man comes from first class. Hat, beard, sunglasses, blowing up a balloon. He ties it off, hands it off like he's holding out a sword to a king. Kneeling, Head down, arms up. Kids calm down in milliseconds. Plane damn near bursts into applause. 15 minutes longer and it probably would have started WWIII, but we landed before that could happen. We get off the plane, are waiting on line in customs. Finally get a good look at the guy and I say to my wife "Holy shit. I think that balloon man/hero" is Luke Perry". As luck would have it we end up standing next to each other. Out of the blue he turns to me and says some kind words about Fargo, which kinda blew my mind. I start singing his praises about how long I've admired him and also about the move with the balloon. "That's a pro move! You can't teach that!" I say. He tells me he always flies with a couple of balloons for that very reason, to give to screaming kids. Don't know if that's true, but have no reason to believe it wasn't. Guy seemed like a true gent. Gone way too damn soon. Also, I'll be damned if I don't start traveling with some spare balloons ??? #promove #rip #lukeperry #truegent

A post shared by Colin Hanks (@colinhanks) on

Beverly Hills, 90210 actress Carol Potter said:
"Shocking and heart breaking news about Luke Perry. Unfathomable. So sad for his kids and family, a terrible loss! I always thought that I would see him again."
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