9021-Noo - Death Of Tv's Beloved Bad Boy

Luke’s breaking hearts all over again

At first, it didn’t seem serious. When paramedics arrived at actor Luke Perry’s California home on the morning of February 27, they found the actor to be alert and responsive.

“He was talking,” says a friend of the Riverdale star. But before long, the 52-yearold’s condition began to deteriorate.

Luke had suffered a massive stroke and in hospital, he was placed immediately under heavy sedation to give his brain the opportunity to heal. “His loved ones were hoping they’d pull him out of it after 48 hours or so,” the friend says. “But he never recovered. It was devastating.”

Five days later, on March 4, Luke’s family – including his fiancée Wendy Madison Bauer – made the heartbreaking decision to take him off life support.

The actor’s death shocked legions of fans who’ve adored him since he smouldered on the small screen as bad-boy charmer Dylan McKay on ’90s teen drama Beverly Hills, 90210.

Luke was immediately dubbed a modern-day James Dean, but his brooding good looks hadn’t been an instant ticket to stardom. The Ohioraised wannabe endured 256 Hollywood auditions, making ends meet by working in a doorknob factory, before landing his big break on what was to become one of the hottest shows of the decade.

Then, aged 24, he went from zero to hero, with his face plastered on bedroom walls and being mobbed by thousands of crazed female fans. But those who knew him say his feet never left the ground.