By Shawna Healey
The cast of Riverdale paid a heartfelt tribute to fellow actor Luke Perry’s untimely death in the first episode of season four, which aired last week.
Perry, aged 52, also known for his role in 90210, died from a stroke in his LA home on the 4th of May this year. He was mourned by the cast of the American television series Riverdale back in the spring, but the first episode of season four called “dying a hero’s death” was also dedicated to the actor’s character, Fred Andrews.
Due to the shocking nature of Perry’s death in the middle of production, there was no mention of his character in the third season of Riverdale, other than references to him “working away”. Molly Ringwald’s character – Mary Andrews, Fred’s ex-wife, stayed “in town” to look after their son Archie Andrews instead. A number of Perry’s scenes were also removed and the character was written out of the show following the actor’s death.
Fred Andrews died pushing a woman, played by Shannen Doherty, out of the way of a speeding car in the new episode.
During his speech at Fred’s funeral, Archie said: “His spirit and his memory lives on, in this town and in everyone he has ever met. Fred Andrews will always be a part of Riverdale”.
In a conversation between The Wrap and Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, one of the writers and producers of Riverdale, it was revealed that Perry had wanted his previous co-star Shannen Doherty to be on the show, but nothing ever transpired.
“Over the seasons, Luke and I had talked a lot about trying to get Shannen on the show, and the timing never worked out”, Aguirre-Sacasa told The Wrap.
He said when they were working on the show they “knew that there would be some characters outside of [their] cast of characters that would be involved.”
“We thought that, rather than have another actor play that, we thought it would be nice if it was someone he cared for in real life — and he cared so deeply about Shannen.”
Fred Andrew’s funeral took place on the 4th of July in the episode, the same day Cheryl Blossom’s brother Jason was murdered three years prior.
The writers of Riverdale decided to not launch any major storylines in the first episode of season four, as they wanted to focus on Fred’s death in order to pay respect to both the character and the actor.
Featured image and gallery: Truck Festival For almost thirty years, set within the rolling fields of Hill Farm in Steventon, Oxfordshire, Truck Festival has been a cornerstone of the British festival calendar. Dubbed the ‘godfather of the UK’s small festival scene’, the festival continues to live up to that title, with a line-up packed with…
Featured image: American Football – American Football album artwork The debut album has long been treated as a baptism of fire for artists – the deciding factor that determines whether a band will ‘make it’ or not. Some debuts set the tone for what follows: Arctic Monkeys’ Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m…
Featured image and gallery: Lucy Elson-Whittaker Jeff Goldblum & The Mildred Snitzer Orchestra come to the Palace Theatre in Manchester to celebrate the release of their new album, Night Blooms. Liverpool-based Brooke Combe opens the evening with a stripped-back set alongside her guitarist, her soulful vocals instantly captivating the crowd. Blending heartfelt performances with quick-witted…
Featured image and gallery: Sally Stretch Three decades after they first emerged in Manchester, Take That return home to the Etihad Stadium and deliver an unforgettable show, combining circus theatrics and crowd-pleasing hits from across their catalogue. Formed in 1990, the group have released multiple chart-topping albums and embarked on numerous world tours, including 2009’s…
Leave a reply