Luke Perry, best known for his role as Dylan McKay on Beverly Hills, 90210, died four years ago this month. His co-star from the 90s teenage drama series, Jason Priestly, is reflecting on his time spent with Perry while he was alive and how it’s been since he’s been gone.
Priestly appeared on an episode of the Hey Dude…The 90s Called podcast, hosted by Hey Dude co-stars David Lascher and Christine Taylor, where he opened up about his friendship with Perry.
“Luke and I obviously were really good friends when we were working on the show together,” Jason explained. “We were really good friends outside of that too.”
He went on about how he and Perry would just head over to his house in LA to hang out, just as any friends would do.
“He lived three blocks away from me in Los Angeles and he would just ride his bike over to my house and ring the doorbell. I’d be like, ‘Who’s here?’, and I’d open the door and it’d be Luke, like, ‘Hey dude, what’s up!’”
Although their friendship started because they acted alongside each other on the 90s drama, they remained close even after the show ended in 2000.
“We worked together a number of times outside of the show,” Jason shared, “and we really enjoyed all the years we had together but unfortunately that got cut short.”
Perry’s death in 2019 came as a shock to fans, colleagues, and friends. At just 52 years old, Perry suffered a stroke in his home on February 27, 2019. He was unconscious in a hospital for five days, and passed away on March 4, 2019. With no prior health issues and the abruptness of the incident leading to a quick death, it really took its toll on Luke’s friends who weren’t expecting to say goodbye so soon.
“It’s bittersweet every March when we go by the anniversary of his passing,” Priestly added. “It was a real freak thing that happened with him and it was a good reminder to spend time with people you love and never take any of it for granted.”
Lascher, who guest starred on Beverly Hills, 90210, talked about how he felt after hearing the news of Perry’s passing.
“It was such a freaking shock,” David said. “[Luke was] one of the sweetest, kindest, he was literally one of my first friends in LA.”
Luke had an acting career that spanned nearly 30 years, and his iconic role in 90210 will always be remembered. But his friends and colleagues will remember him as the kind and friendly person he was off screen.
Sources:
https://people.com/tv/jason-priestley-on-luke-perrys-death/
