COLUMBUS – Whether they knew him as a quiet youngster in his hometown in Knox County or as a brooding teen in the tonier make-believe world of Beverly Hills, 90210, Ohioans were saddened to hear of the death of actor Luke Perry.
Read more about the life and career of Luke Perry
A publicist confirmed that the actor died Monday at the age of 52. Perry had been hospitalized since suffering a massive stroke last week.
Cindy Bish, an East Side resident, started the first 90210 fan back in the mid-90s and, though she was sad to hear the news of Perry’s passing, she also realized that Perry had gained fans from a younger generation through Perry’s newest role, as Archie Andrews’ father on the CW series Riverdale.
“Now my teenage daughter was watching all these years later, so it kind of hit me that it almost came full circle,” Bish told Sunny 95 morning show co-hosts Bobby Mitchell and Stacy McKay Tuesday morning.
Perry was born Coy Luther Perry III on October 11, 1966, in Mansfield, delivered by Dr. Charles Brown, father of future U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, who issued a statement of sympathy.
“Luke Perry represented what makes our state great – generosity, humility, and a fighting spirit. Connie and I join the Mansfield and Fredericktown communities in offering our deep sympathies to Luke’s family and friends on their loss,” Brown wrote.
Perry was raised in Fredericktown and served as the high school mascot, “Freddie Bird.”
In a 2006 interview with The Associated Press, he recounted being partly inspired to pursue acting by a photo of Paul Newman his mother kept on her mirror.
Perry moved to Los Angeles shortly after high school to pursue acting.
Publicist Arnold Robinson says Perry’s family and friends were with him when he died. Among them were his children, siblings, fiancée and former wife.