Jason Priestley is sharing a tender tribute to his late colleague, emphasizing the profound respect and admiration he held for Luke Perry throughout their years working together on the iconic teen drama.
Sources close to the production reveal that the emotional weight of directing Perry's final scenes hit Priestley harder than expected. The two had been close since the show's early days in the early 1990s, making this goodbye particularly brutal for everyone involved.
Jason Priestley directed Luke Perry during his final episode on Beverly Hills, 90210. Luke Perry passed away in March 2019 at age 52 after suffering a stroke. The interview was published by Page Six on August 15, 2026.
Some bonds formed on television sets run deeper than any script can captureโand for Jason Priestley, directing his friend's final episode was more than just work. It was closure he never wanted to need.
Jason Priestley is opening up about one of the most difficult days of his career behind the camera. The Beverly Hills, 90210 star, who later transitioned into directing, got emotional during a recent interview as he reflected on helming Luke Perry's final episode on the iconic Fox series. Priestley, who played Brandon Walsh opposite Perry's Steve Stephens for six seasons, revealed that directing his former co-star's last scenes hit him in ways he didn't anticipate.
The two actors had developed a genuine friendship during their years working together at West Beverly Hills Highโwhere Perry portrayed the rebellious Dylan McKay to Priestley's straight-laced Brandon. "There are some moments on set that stay with you forever," Priestley shared during the emotional conversation. "Directing Luke's final episode... that's one of those moments I'll carry with me always." He visibly welled up while discussing the experience, according to sources present at the interview.
Perry passed away in March 2019 after suffering a massive stroke at age 52. His death sent shockwaves through Hollywood and hit his former co-stars particularly hard. Shannen Doherty, Jennie Garth, Tori Spelling, Ian Ziering, and others from the original cast mourned publicly alongside millions of fans who'd grown up watching them navigate adolescence on television.
The timing of Priestley's revelation comes as Beverly Hills, 90210 continues to hold a special place in pop culture nostalgia. The series ran from 1990 to 2000 and spawned multiple reunions over the yearsโincluding the ill-fated reboot in 2019 that brought back some cast members but notably did not include Perry due to his declining health at the time. For Priestley, stepping behind the camera as a director meant he had to balance professionalism with personal grief when it came time for Perry's exit from the show. "You have to do your job," he explained, "but you also know you're saying goodbye to someone who's been part of your life for decades." The emotional weight of that duality was clearly visible during his interviewโand it's a testament to how deeply the Beverly Hills, 90210 family was bound together both on-screen and off.
