Jason Priestley has spoken for the first time since the death of his friend and former co-star, Luke Perry who died on Monday at the age of 52.
The American actor, who co-starred with Luke on the hit American teen drama Beverly Hills 90210 in the early 90s, paid tribute to his “dear friend” in a series of Instagram posts shared in the early hours of Friday morning.
Admitting it had taken him several days to find the words to write about his friend of 29 years, the actor described Luke as “one of those truly special people who really cared”.
Jason wrote: “He was an incredibly bright light that was extinguished far too soon... and that is why I, and so many others, are in so much pain today.
“If you had the good fortune to know Luke, or to have ever crossed his path, I know you are sad today as well... the candle that burns twice as bright only burns for half as long... you burned oh, so brightly Luke... Goodnight Sweet Prince.”
In another Instagram post, Jason thanked fans for their love and support and went on to highlight just how much the Riverdale star had meant to him.
“Luke was much more than just a friend to me,” he wrote. “He was also my teammate, my teacher, my sounding board, my compass, my brother... Luke was truly one of a kind... he adored his family, was passionate about his work, and loved his wide collection of friends.
“Every life he touched, he made better... he was caring, gentle, charming, warm, funny, and smart... he loved to tell stories, and he loved to laugh... he was a true gentleman... and he will be missed by all of us who were blessed to know and love him... Rest In Peace my brother.”
Luke was taken to hospital last week when paramedics were called to his home in Los Angeles, after suffering a stroke. On Monday, his spokesperson confirmed that the actor had died.
Another of Luke’s Beverly Hills 90210 co-star’s, Shannen Doherty, has also paid tribute to the actor.
Speaking to People magazine, she said: “There is a special kind of love one has for each other when you are experiencing the journey we did on 90210 and of course life in general.
“Luke and I were working on show ideas for us. We wanted to work with each other again and create something special and meaningful for our fans at this stage in our lives.
“I will miss him everyday. Every minute. Every second.”
Luke was best known for his role as Dylan McKay in 90210, which he played for five years until he stepped down from the series in 1995. He later returned for an additional two-year stint from 1998 to 2000.
More recently, Luke came to the attention of a new legion of fans as part of the cast of Riverdale, which airs on Netflix here in the UK.
