The late Luke Perry left a lasting impression on Riverdale costar Madelaine Petsch.
During a recent stop on Watch What Happens Live, Petsch, who played Cheryl Blossom on the hit CW show, reminisced on what she learned from Perry, who played Archie Andrews’ dad, Fred. (Perry died in 2019, five days after suffering a massive stroke. He was 52.)
When asked by a viewer what Perry taught her about the entertainment industry, Petsch replied, “Luke taught me so much. He was really a champion in my career, and he held my hand through the process, because he went through similar fame on 90210.”
The Strangers – Chapter 2 star continued, “He gave me two really strong pieces of advice. One is: don’t read anything about yourself, ever. I don’t listen to that, it’s really hard.”
She concluded, “The second was: the first thing you can do on a set is introduce yourself to every single crew member and remember all of their names.”
Host Andy Cohen praised the notes as “good advice — very good.”
Petsch was one of many people who had worked with Perry and took the time to pay tribute to him after news of his death. “Luke, I am so lucky to have known you & gotten so close to you these last 3 years,” she wrote in a post on her Instagram, alongside a sweet Riverdale cast photo. “You were such a light in our lives; the most genuine & kind soul I will ever know. From day one of this show you were the most amazing mentor to me. Thank you for teaching me not only about this industry, but also about kindness and being a family and how to foster and nurture those important relationships… you were the absolute best at that. I love you Luke, you and those sweet forehead kisses will forever be missed.”
Charles Sykes/Bravo via Getty
Another young star of the show, Camila Mendes, who played Veronica Lodge on the series, echoed Petsch’s sentiments in an Instagram post of her own at the time. “He took care of us all,” she wrote in part. “An authentic man who took pleasure in offering us his guidance and wisdom. His presence was healing; he had the ability to make you feel comfortable and at ease within seconds of seeing him. I will never forget the collective shock and distress we experienced when the news broke on set. We lost a dear friend.”
Perry was best known for playing heartthrob Dylan McKay on the hit ’90s show Beverly Hills, 90210. Following that, Perry went on to have roles on HBO’s Oz, Criminal Minds, and more before landing the role of Riverdale‘s patriarch.
Sign up for Entertainment Weekly‘s free daily newsletter to get breaking TV news, exclusive first looks, recaps, reviews, interviews with your favorite stars, and more.
Riverdale aired for seven seasons, from 2017 to 2023.
