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Luke Perry dies aged 52 after suffering massive stroke a week earlier

For five days, Luke Perry remained under observation at a Los Angeles hospital.

For five days, Luke Perry remained under observation at a Los Angeles hospital. Photo: Getty

Actor Luke Perry has been pronounced dead at age 52, almost a week after he was hospitalised with a massive stroke.

Best known for his roles in 1990s hit television series Beverly Hills 90210 and Netflix teen drama Riverdale, Perry died on Tuesday morning (Australian time) surrounded by his family and friends, his publicist said.

Among those at his bedside were his children Jack and Sophie, siblings Tom Perry and Amy Coder, fiancee Wendy Bauer and former wife Minnie Sharp.

“The family appreciates the outpouring of support and prayers that have been extended to Luke from around the world, and respectfully request privacy in this time of great mourning. No further details will be released at this time,” the publicist said in a statement.

Perry was rushed to a Los Angeles hospital last Wednesday, the same day Fox announced a six-episode revival of 90210, featuring all the former cast members.

Confirmation of the actor’s hospitalisation came after celebrity websiteTMZ obtained an audio clip of the dispatch call responding to Perry’s apparent stroke

Perry became a became a household name in the ’90s for playing brooding loner Dylan McKay on Beverly Hills 90210.

Perry had two runs on 90210, one from 1990 to 1995 and another from 1998 to the show’s end in 2000, during which time his character struggled with alcohol abuse and drug addiction, and went through a series of tumultuous relationships with several other main characters including Brenda (played by Shannen Doherty) and Kelly (played by Jennie Garth).

The show became a phenomenon, catapulting Perry and his co-stars to full-blown teen idol status. He appeared on a racy Vanity Fair cover in July 1992.

luke perry

Perry rose to fame on the hit show Beverly Hills 90210. Photo: Fox

Born in Mansfield, Ohio, Perry moved to Los Angeles after high school to pursue acting.

His TV career began when he was 16, and the actor cut his teeth acting in soap operas such as ABC’s Loving and Another World on NBC, and doing voice work for animated series such as The Incredible Hulk and Biker Mice From Mars.

While starring in 90210, Perry made a brief appearance as Billy Masterson in Luc Besson’s wacky sci-fi pic The Fifth Element in 1997.

More recently, Perry made a successful return to the TV drama genre with a regular role on Netflix’ Riverdale.

He played Fred Andrews, the conservative, old-fashioned yet soft father of the show’s lead Archie Andrews (KJ Apa).

Perry will appear posthumously in Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, playing the real-life Canadian-American actor Wayne Maunder who starred in the CBS Western TV show Lancer.

-With agencies

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