Luke Perry, whose iconic roles have helped him remain relevant throughout multiple generations, passed away March 4 at the age of 52 after suffering a stroke Feb. 27. His death was untimely and truly heartbreaking for all of his fans who loved him both on and off the screen.  

Nineties kids lovingly remember him as (not so) bad boy Dylan McKay on “Beverly Hills, 90210,” a sensitive teen alcoholic with plenty of issues and love interests. Younger generations know him as Fred Andrews on “Riverdale,” Archie Andrews’ father who cares more about his son than a good majority of the other parents on the show do.  

Although he played a bad boy as Dylan McKay, all reports of him are extremely positive, describing him as a role model and an overall sweetheart. And even if you have never watched “Beverly Hills, 90210” or “Riverdale,” you still most likely know who Perry was. He was a genuinely good person and actor who will and should be mourned and missed. 

“Riverdale” was under production when Perry passed and has since now been halted to give everyone time to grieve and prepare for a change of script. Everyone who has released a statement has said nothing but good things, and others who have not can be safely assumed to be too heartbroken to mourn him on social media.  

Perry’s death is a tragedy that truly should not have happened so soon to such a great actor and person. It’s so rare to find someone like Perry in media, whose work managed to fill and break fans’ hearts in the best possible ways. Perry was truly underrated during his life, but his death has also begun to revive his legacy, which will hopefully live on for many more generations to come.