Shannen Doherty is honoring Luke Perry’s memory in a special way.
The actress will be making an appearance in Season 4 of “Riverdale” to pay tribute to her late “Beverly Hills, 90210” co-star and friend, who tragically passed away in March 2019 at age 52 after suffering a massive stroke. Prior to his death, the actor had played Archie Andrew’s father, Fred, on The CW series.
“I am deeply honored to pay tribute to Luke on Riverdale,” Shannen posted on Instagram along with photos of her and Luke together. “The care in which this show takes in honoring his memory is beautiful. He is missed. Today. Tomorrow. Forever.”
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Shannen’s casting on “Riverdale” was announced during the show’s panel at Comic-Con 2019. The tribute will “reflect Perry’s enduring legacy and the indelible imprint his character” Fred Andrews had on the series, creator and executive producer Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa said, according to Variety. He also revealed that having Shannen on the show was “something that Luke wanted to happen since Season 1.”
“They were such good friends and when we were putting together this tribute episode, we wanted to make it as special as possible, and so we asked Shannen to do a pivotal, super-emotional role,” Roberto said. “She read the script and immediately said, ‘Yes.’ It’s very impactful.”
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Cole Sprouse, who plays Jughead Jones, also shared what it was like working with Shannen. “It was cathartic for all of us,” he said. “It put the cherry on top of that episode and made a nice tribute. She was overjoyed to have the ability to share some of the burden of Luke’s passing that she had gone through in a cathartic setting with the rest of us.”
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