Luke Perry: ‘Riverdale’ Star Camila Mendes Admits Her ‘Heart Hurts’ for Actor’s Family

Riverdale star Camila Mendes remembered co-star Luke Perry with an emotional post shared a photo to Instagram Thursday from a party with the Beverly Hills, 90210 star.

“He took care of us all. An authentic man who took pleasure in offering us his guidance and wisdom,” Mendes, who plays Veronica Lodge, wrote in the caption. “His presence was healing; he had the ability to make you feel comfortable and at ease within seconds of seeing him.”

Mendes continued, “I will never forget the collective shock and distress we experienced when the news broke on set. We lost a dear friend. My heart hurts for his family and anybody who had the pleasure of knowing him. Rest in peace, Luke. Although you’re no longer around to wrap me in the warmth of your hug, I can still remember what it felt like. Whenever I think of you, I will remember that feeling.”

Perry starred as Fred Andrews, the father of Archie Andrews, in the Archie Comics-inspired series. He died on Monday, days after suffering a massive stroke. He was 52.

Since his death, the Riverdale family has shown an outpouring of support. At the end of Wednesday’s episode, The CW aired an “in memoriam” title card for Perry, and creator Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa said the rest of the season will be dedicated to the late actor.

“Going through pictures on my way to set. From the early days. With Luke in the middle. Our heart, always,” Aguirre-Sacasa wrote on Twitter Wednesday. “Tonight’s episode of [Riverdale] finds Fred doing what he does best — helping Archie. It is dedicated to Luke, as all episodes will be for the rest of our run.”

K.J. Apa, who plays Archie, shared his first social media post since Perry’s death. He shared a screenshot showing him listening to the Third Eye Blind song “The Background,” in which the lyrics are about a friend.

Cole Sprouse, who plays Jughead Jones, also shared a tribute, alongside a photo of Perry looking out a bus window.

“We’re recovering, yeah. It’s obviously not the easiest thing to talk about, but he was well-loved and there’s been an outpouring of emotional support from people around the world, which just goes to show what a wonderful person he was and how much he impacted people’s lives and impacted our lives,” Sprouse added in an interview Wednesday. “But I know that his family has requested privacy during this period and I respect that quite a bit.”

“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,” Lili Reinhart, the actress playing Betty Cooper, added on Twitter Monday. “I pray for them to heal and find peace in this devastating loss.”

The next new episode of Riverdale airs Wednesday at 8 p.m. ET on The CW.

Photo credit: The CW