Luke Perry’s Most Beloved Roles, From ‘90210’ to ‘Riverdale’

Actor Luke Perry burst into pop culture’s consciousness in the ’90s when he starred on Beverly Hills, 90210, becoming an instant heartthrob who parlayed his fame into a decades-long acting career.

Perry passed away on March 4 at age 52 after suffering a stroke last week, and the Ohio native has received an outpouring of love from friends and fans alike, many of whom have reflected on his years in Hollywood. Along with 90210, Perry appeared in numerous television shows, starred in multiple films and even did voice over work through the years.

Scroll through to look back on some of Perry’s most memorable roles.

‘Beverly Hills, 90210’

Perry’s turn as bad boy Dylan McKay remains his most popular role to this day, and catapulted him into megastardom during the show’s heydey in the ’90s. He appeared on 90210 from 1990-1995 and again from 1998-2000 for the show’s final two seasons.

“The show has changed my life immeasurably,” Perry said of the show in 1993. “I mean, life is certainly never going to be the same. It has been good for the most part. It certainly has some drawbacks, but I’m not b—.”

“It has given me an opportunity to explore my talent,” he continued. “It’s given me a good chance to work with some people that I like, and I enjoy it.”

“I’m going to be linked with him until I die, but that’s actually just fine,” the actor added to Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet of the character of Dylan. “I created Dylan McKay. He’s mine.”  

‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’

Before Sarah Michelle Gellar ever picked up a stake, Luke Perry and Kristy Swanson starred in the 1992 movie Buffy the Vampire Slayer, helmed by Joss Whedon. Perry played Oliver Pike, who eventually teams up with Buffy to defeat vampire king Lothos.

“The first time I met Luke Perry we talked about what kind of movie we wanted ‘Buffy’ to be,” Whedon tweeted after Perry’s death. “I asked if he’d ever seen ‘Near Dark’ and he gave me a look of HOW DARE YOU SIR and I knew we’d get along. Funny, committed, and always gracious. He shouldn’t be gone.”

‘The Simpsons’

Along with his appearances on-screen, Perry also did a number of voiceover projects, including roles on The Simpsons and Family Guy, where he played himself. He also voiced Rick Jones in The Incredible Hulk, Napoleon Brie in Biker Mice from Mars and Sub-Zero in Mortal Kombat: Defenders of the Realm.

‘8 Seconds’

Perry appeared as bull rider Lane Frost in this 1994 biopic, which told the story of Frost, the only professional bull rider to earn qualified rides from the 1987 World CHampion and 1990 ProRodeo Hall of Fame bull Red Rock. Frost ultimately died in the ring in 1989 after he was rammed by the bull Takin’ Care of Business.

‘Oz’

Perry appeared on the HBO prison drama from 2001-2002 as Reverend Jeremiah Cloutier, who arrived at the prison after being caught embezzling funds from his church before eventually being killed by a biker gang. Oz was the first one-hour dramatic television series and set a precedent for the network’s other original juggernauts like Game of Thrones and Westworld.

‘Jeremiah’

The Showtime post-apocalyptic series Jeremiah followed a man named Jeremiah searching for a mysterious place called Valhalla over a decade after a deadly plague killed off nearly every person over the age of 13. Now in his late 20s, he and other survivors attempt to create peace and rebuild the world. Perry starred as the titular character during the series’ run from 2002-2004.

‘Will & Grace’

Throughout his career, Perry made cameos on several television shows including a 2005 turn on Will & Grace as Aaron, the neighborhood bird enthusiast, allowing the actor to share another facet of his talent.

In 2005, he reunited with 90210 co-star Jennie Garth for three episodes of Garth’s sitcom What I Like About You. Perry also had recurring appearances on shows including Windfall, John From Cincinnati and Body of Proof as well as guest roles on shows like Law and Order: Special Victims Unit and Criminal Minds.

‘Riverdale’

Before his death, Perry had been starring on the CW drama Riverdale as the hardworking Fred Andrews, Archie’s dad. The show premiered in 2017, is currently airing its third season and has been confirmed for a fourth.

“I like playing the dad because I like being a dad, and I think it’s a great character in the milieu of this show that I’m the grounded one, and I’m the guy who really cares about K.J. [Apa, who plays Archie], who cares about doing a good job and being a good construction worker,” Perry told The Hollywood Reporter of the role in 2017. “I love that.”

Photo Credit: FOX