The actor was just 52 years old when he passed away on March 4, 2019 - just a few days after he was hospitalized for a massive stroke at his home. The death of Luke Perry certainly was a shock, not just because of how young he was, but because of the massive impact that he had on pop culture. At the time of his death, he was experiencing a rebirth of sorts, playing the role of Archie's father, Fred Andrews on the massive CW hit, "Riverdale" - which was renewed for a fourth season just a few weeks before his death.
I'll admit that before "Riverdale" first debuted in January 2017, and Luke Perry was announced as the actor that would play Archie's father, I was extremely shocked. I mean, Luke looked NOTHING like Mr. Andrews in the comic books. I was wondering if they were going to force him to gain a hundred pounds and shave his head bald! But once I started watching "Riverdale", I couldn't think of another actor that could play him. It helped, of course, that Luke Perry shared chemistry with on-screen son KJ Apa, but the way that the relationship between Fred and Archie went was like watching an actual father/son relationship unfold. And for what it was worth, I like the way that Luke really played the role of Fred. Essentially a good guy, but had some dark tendencies that he only used when absolutely necessary. It kind of reminds me of the way he was in the role that made him famous.
For seven and a half out of the ten seasons that "Beverly Hills 90210" aired on FOX, Luke played the role of the mysterious and troubled teen Dylan McKay. He was by all accounts the misunderstood rebel who somehow managed to become best friends with Brandon and Steve, and get involved in a love triangle between Kelly and Brenda. In many ways, I suppose Luke Perry was the original Archie with Betty and Veronica fighting over him. No wonder Fred understood Archie so much on "Riverdale"!
I think it was also on "Beverly Hills 90210" that we saw just how much of a range that Luke had as an actor. I mean, yes, it was easy to knock the show as another teen show where the teenagers weren't actually teenagers. After all, Perry was just shy of turning 24 when he was cast as Dylan in 1990, and the third oldest teen cast member behind Gabrielle Carteris and Ian Ziering. But his character also went through some really intense storylines. I mean, from right off the top of my head, he went through having to choose between Brenda and Kelly, he watched his father get blown up - only for him to come back from the dead towards the end of the series. He developed an alcohol addiction which he fought on and off through the whole series. He had his sister kidnapped and he had to rescue her. He had a tumultuous relationship with his mother. And, his wife was gunned down by her own father just hours after they tied the knot. I mean, that was a lot for any character to have to endure, and yet something about the way that Luke Perry portrayed Dylan made you want to root for him.
Oh, and for the record, I was a Dylan/Brenda fan. I liked Kelly, but thought she fit better with Brandon - and even so, I thought Brandon and Andrea would have made a better couple. I know, I'm strange.
And just as he did on 90210, he made you want to root for him on "Riverdale", as he was one of the few adults on that show that didn't really partake in devious things. He was probably the adult character that you could relate to and that you wanted to be. It is sad to know that we won't see him ever again.
Production on the show has shut down - likely to give the cast and crew time to mourn the loss of their friend and co-worker. It makes one wonder what will happen from here on out. I suppose they could recast the character (like they did with Reggie between seasons one and two), but I really don't think that would be appropriate. He was a major character, and I think the best thing they can do is write the character of Fred off, and give him the tribute that he deserves.
Much like the same tributes that Luke Perry has been getting.
No comments:
Post a Comment