ACTOR Luke Perry, who rose to superstardom on the teen-oriented 1990s US TV drama Beverly Hills 90210 and then aged into a fatherly role on comic-based Riverdale, died on Monday at the age of 52 after suffering a “massive” stroke last week, his publicist said. Publicist Arnold Robinson said Perry died in a Los Angeles area hospital surrounded by his family and close friends, including his former wife Minnie Sharp, his two children, and his fiance Wendy Madison Bauer. Perry was rushed to a Los Angeles hospital on Wednesday after suffering the stroke at his home, celebrity website TMZ.com reported last week. TMZ said on Monday that Perry never recovered consciousness. Perry was taken ill the same day that Fox TV announced it was reviving the Beverly Hills 90210 series with many of the original cast, including Jason Priestley, Jennie Garth and Tori Spelling. Perry was not among those announced as returning for the limited run of six new episodes this summer. — Reuters
