Luke Perry

Background

Coy Luther Perry III was born in Mansfield, Ohio, to Ann Perry, a homemaker, and Coy Luther Perry Jr., a steelworker. He grew up in Fredericktown with an older brother, Thomas, and a younger sister, Amy. His parents divorced in 1972, and his father died in 1980.

Perry attended Fredericktown High School, where he played Freddie Bird, the school's mascot. Shortly after graduating, he moved to Los Angeles in 1984 to pursue acting. Before securing screen roles, he worked at an asphalt paving company and a doorknob factory.

Education

Perry attended Fredericktown High School in Fredericktown, Ohio, and played the school's Freddie Bird mascot. The school served the local community in the rural area where he was raised. He moved to Los Angeles in 1984 after high school to pursue acting.

Career

Perry began pursuing acting in Los Angeles in 1984, taking various jobs while auditioning. He appeared in Twisted Sister's 1985 music video “Be Chrool to Your Scuel.” After moving to New York, he made early television appearances on the daytime soap operas Loving and Another World in 1987–1989.

His breakthrough came in 1990 as Dylan McKay on Fox's teen drama Beverly Hills, 90210. The Fox Broadcasting Company was a national commercial television network that had launched in 1986; the series became one of its prominent youth-oriented dramas. Perry played Dylan from 1990 to 1995 and returned from 1998 through the show's conclusion in 2000. The role made him widely known as a teen idol. While on the series, he appeared in Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Terminal Bliss and 8 Seconds, and presented an award at the 1992 MTV Video Music Awards. He left 90210 in 1995 while seeking other roles, then returned three years later.

During the period away from 90210, Perry appeared in the independent film Normal Life, the television films Invasion and Riot, and Luc Besson's science-fiction film The Fifth Element. His later screen work ranged across television drama, comedy and animation. He played Reverend Jeremiah Cloutier on HBO's prison drama Oz in 2001–2002 and starred in the post-apocalyptic series Jeremiah from 2002 to 2004. HBO, established as a subscription television service in 1972, became known for original dramatic programming. Perry also starred in the 2006 NBC ensemble series Windfall and appeared in the HBO series John from Cincinnati in 2007.

Perry voiced characters in animated productions including The Incredible Hulk, Mortal Kombat: Defenders of the Realm, Biker Mice from Mars and The Night of the Headless Horseman, and made guest appearances on programs such as The Simpsons, Family Guy, Spin City, Will & Grace, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit and Criminal Minds. His stage work included the 2001 Broadway revival of The Rocky Horror Show and a 2004 London production of When Harry Met Sally. He also appeared in the 2009 Swedish film Äntligen midsommar! and in the 2010 television series Leverage and 2013 episode of Community.

From 2017 until his death, Perry played Fred Andrews, Archie's father, on the CW series Riverdale. The CW, formed in 2006 as a broadcast network aimed in part at younger audiences, aired the series; episodes broadcast after Perry's death were dedicated to him. His final feature performance was as actor Wayne Maunder in Quentin Tarantino's Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (2019). Perry also directed two episodes of Beverly Hills, 90210 and served as a producer on Jeremiah. He advocated for colorectal cancer testing after a 2015 colonoscopy found precancerous growths.

Works

• audio bible

  • The Word of Promise

    (Participated in Thomas Nelson's dramatized audio Bible, v...)

    2009

• film

  • Once Upon a Time in Hollywood

    (His final feature-film performance; he portrayed actor Wa...)

    2019

  • The Fifth Element

    (Played a small role in Luc Besson's science-fiction adven...)

    1997

  • Äntligen midsommar!

    (Appeared in the Swedish film, released in summer 2009.)

    2009
  • Normal Life

    (Independent film appearance opposite Ashley Judd.)

    1996
  • Buffy the Vampire Slayer

    (Played a supporting role in the original film.)

    1992

  • Vacanze di Natale '95 (Christmas Holidays '95)

    (Appeared as himself in the Italian film.)

    1995
  • 8 Seconds

    (Played rodeo champion Lane Frost.)

    1994
  • The Sandlot: Heading Home

    (Played Tommy “Santa” Santorelli.)

    2007

  • Scorchers

    (Film appearance.)

    1991
  • Terminal Bliss

    (Film appearance.)

    1992
  • American Strays

    (Film appearance.)

    1996

  • Last Breath

    (Film appearance.)

    1998
  • The Heist

    (Film appearance.)

    1999
  • The Florentine

    (Film appearance.)

    1999
  • Storm

    (Film appearance.)

    1999

  • Attention Shoppers

    (Film appearance.)

    2000
  • The Enemy

    (Film appearance.)

    2001

  • Dirt

    (Film appearance.)

    2001
  • Fogbound

    (Film appearance.)

    2002

  • Cowboy Up: Inside the Extreme World of Bull Riding

    (Film appearance.)

    2003

  • Down the Barrel

    (Film appearance.)

    2003

  • Dishdogz

    (Film appearance.)

    2005
  • Alice Upside Down

    (Film appearance.)

  • Upstairs

    (Film appearance.)

  • Silent Venom

    (Film appearance.)

  • Sam Steele and the Junior Detective Agency

    (Film appearance.)

  • Redemption Road

    (Film appearance.)

    2010
  • The Final Storm

    (Film appearance.)

  • Hanna's Gold

    (Film appearance.)

  • Good Intentions

    (Film appearance.)

    2010
  • Red Wing

    (Film appearance.)

    2013
  • Scoot and Kassie's Christmas Adventure

    (Film appearance.)

  • The Beat Beneath My Feet

    (Film appearance.)

    2015
  • A Fine Step

    (Film appearance.)

  • Black Beauty

    (Film appearance.)

    2015
  • Dudes & Dragons

    (Film appearance.)

  • The Griddle House

    (Film appearance.)

    2018

  • The Webbers

    (Film appearance.)

    1993

  • For Our Children

    (Film appearance.)

    1993
  • The Heist

    (Film appearance.)

    1999

• music video

  • Be Chrool to Your Scuel

    (Appeared in the music video for the Twisted Sister song.)

    1985

  • ¡Happy Birthday Guadalupe!

    (Appeared in the Killers' Christmas-season music video.)

    2009

• stage production

  • When Harry Met Sally ...

    (Played Harry in the London stage production, alongside Al...)

    2004

  • The Rocky Horror Show

    (Played Brad Majors in the Broadway revival.)

    2001

• television film

  • Riot

    (Starred in the television drama about the 1992 Los Angele...)

    1997

  • Invasion

    (Starred in the science-fiction television film.)

    1997

  • A Gunfighter's Pledge

    (Appeared in the western television film.)

    2008
  • Goodnight for Justice

    (Appeared in the television film.)

  • Goodnight for Justice: The Measure of a Man

    (Appeared in the television film.)

    2012
  • Goodnight for Justice: Queen of Hearts

    (Appeared in the television film.)

  • The Triangle

    (Starred in the television film.)

    2002

  • Indiscreet

    (Television-film appearance.)

    1998

  • Johnson County War

    (Television-film appearance.)

    2002
  • Descent

    (Television-film appearance.)

    2005

  • Supernova

    (Television-film appearance.)

    2005
  • A Very Merry Daughter of the Bride

    (Television-film appearance.)

  • Angel and the Badman

    (Television-film appearance.)

  • Jesse Stone: Lost in Paradise

    (Television-film appearance.)

  • The Last Buckaroo

    (Television-film appearance.)

    2000

• TV series

  • Beverly Hills, 90210

    (Played Dylan McKay from 1990 to 1995 and returned from 19...)

    1990

  • The Simpsons

    (Played himself as Krusty the Clown's half-brother in “Kru...)

    1993

  • What I Like About You

    (Guest appearance in a story loosely parodying his 90210 c...)

    2005

  • Jeremiah

    (Starred in the post-apocalyptic series from 2002 to 2004 ...)

    2002

  • Windfall

    (Co-starred in the ensemble drama series, which ran for 13...)

    2006

  • Community

    (Played the American version of Inspector Spacetime in “Co...)

    2013

  • Spin City

    (Guest appearance as a gay character, Carter Heywood's for...)

    1997

  • The Incredible Hulk

    (Voiced Rick Jones in the animated series during 1996–1997.)

    1996

  • Johnny Bravo

    (Voiced himself in an episode, giving Johnny dating advice.)

    2000

  • Leverage

    (Played a con man and psychic in a second-season episode.)

    2010

  • Riverdale

    (Played Fred Andrews from 2017 until his death in 2019.)

    2017

  • Oz

    (Played Reverend Jeremiah Cloutier from 2001 to 2002.)

    2001

  • Law & Order: Special Victims Unit

    (Guest-starred as Noah Sibert in the season premiere.)

    2008

  • The Night of the Headless Horseman

    (Voice performance in the animated production.)

    1999

  • Criminal Minds

    (Guest-starred as cult leader Benjamin Cyrus.)

    2008

  • Family Guy

    (Parodied himself in “The Story on Page One.”)

    2000

  • Another World

    (Appeared in ten episodes during 1988–1989.)

    1988

  • Loving

    (Appeared in one episode during 1987–1988.)

    1988

  • Biker Mice from Mars

    (Voice performance in the animated series.)

    1994

  • Mortal Kombat: Defenders of the Realm

    (Voice performance in the animated series.)

    1996

  • The Legend of Calamity Jane

    (Voice performance in the animated series.)

    1998

  • Pepper Ann

    (Voice performance in the animated series.)

    1998

  • Generator Rex

    (Voice performance in the animated series.)

  • Pound Puppies

    (Voice performance in the animated series.)

    2011

  • Will & Grace

    (Guest-starred as a birdwatcher.)

    2005

  • Voyagers!

    (Television-series appearance.)

    1982

  • FCU: Fact Checkers Unit

    (Television-series appearance.)

  • Ties That Bind

    (Television-series appearance.)

  • Love in Paradise

    (Television-series appearance.)

    2016

  • BH90210

    (Television-series appearance.)

    2019

  • John from Cincinnati

    (Appeared in the HBO series.)

    2007

  • Clone High

    (Guest voice appearance.)

    2003

  • Saturday Night Live

    (Television appearance.)

    1993
  • Welcome Home

    (Television appearance.)

    2015

  • The Edge and Christian Show That Totally Reeks of Awesomeness

    (Television appearance.)

  • Night Visions

    (Guest appearance.)

    2001

  • Raising Hope

    (Guest appearance.)

  • Body of Proof

    (Guest appearance.)

    2012

  • Major Crimes

    (Guest appearance.)

    2014

  • Hot in Cleveland

    (Guest appearance.)

  • Parker Lewis Can't Lose

    (Guest appearance.)

    1992

  • Jackson County War

    2002

Interests

• He played Freddie Bird, the mascot of Fredericktown High School. He advocated for colorectal cancer testing after a 2015 colonoscopy revealed precancerous growths.

Connections

Perry was the son of Ann Perry and Coy Luther Perry Jr. He had an older brother, Thomas Perry, and a younger sister, Amy Coder. Perry married Rachel Minnie Sharp in 1993; they had two children, Jack and Sophie, and separated in 2003. Jack Perry became a professional wrestler, performing in All Elite Wrestling and previously using the name Jungle Boy. Perry was engaged to Wendy Madison Bauer at the time of his death.

Father:

Coy Luther Perry Jr.

Worked as a steelworker and died in 1980.

Mother:

Ann Perry

Also identified in the existing biographical data as Ann Bennett; she was a homemaker.

Wife:

Rachel Minnie Sharp

Perry married her in 1993; they had two children and separated in 2003.

Daughter:

Sophie Perry

Born in 2000.

Son:

Jack Perry

Born in 1997; he became a professional wrestler with All Elite Wrestling and was formerly known as Jungle Boy.

Brother:

Thomas Perry

Perry's older brother.

Sister:

Amy Coder

Perry's younger sister; born Amy Perry.

fiancee:

Wendy Madison Bauer

Perry was engaged to her at the time of his death.

References

• In Step With... Luke Perry Parade interview by James Brady about Perry.
  2006
• Luke Perry's Family & Siblings: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know Jessica McBride's account of Perry's family and siblings.
  2019
• Luke Perry, 'Beverly Hills, 90210' Star, Is Dead at 52 Neil Genzlinger's New York Times obituary.
  2019
• The Essential HBO Reader Gary R. Edgerton's book, published by the University Press of Kentucky, includes material relevant to Perry's HBO work.
  2013
• Science Fiction Television Series, 1990-2004: Histories, Casts and Credits for 58 Shows Frank Garcia's reference book, published by McFarland & Company, documents television-series histories, casts and credits.
  2013