His family issued a statement saying he died after a “massive stroke,” which he had Wednesday.
Born in Ohio, Perry became a star in the 1990s on “90210,” the Fox drama on which he spent several years playing the bad-boy heartthrob Dylan McKay. The show had its premiere in 1990 and soon became a cultural phenomenon. By the next year, 50 percent of teenagers watching television during its time slot were tuning in to the show.
The show’s central themes were teenage friendships and romance, but it also tackled serious issues like pregnancy scares and alcoholism, unusual at the time for network shows with young casts.
Perry left the show in 1995 to focus on movie roles, then returned in 1998. When “90210” ended in 2000, it was the longest-running drama series in the country. It made household names of Perry; Jason Priestley and Shannen Doherty, who played siblings who moved to Beverly Hills from Minnesota; and Tori Spelling, whose father, Aaron Spelling, produced the show.
After “90210,” Perry worked steadily, often appearing in TV movies or doing voice work. Most recently, he played Fred Andrews, Archie’s father, on the CW series “Riverdale.”
Writer and director Joss Whedon, who worked with Perry on the 1992 movie “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” said on Twitter that Perry was “funny, committed, and always gracious,” adding, “He shouldn’t be gone.”
Perry is survived by two children, Jack and Sophie, his mother, Ann Bennett; his brother, Tom Perry, and his sister, Amy Coderand. His marriage to Minnie Sharp ended in divorce.
This article originally appeared in The New York Times.