Shannen Doherty shares why she has ‘visceral’ reaction to Luke Perry’s death

Shannen Doherty is still feeling the void left behind by the sudden death of co-star Luke Perry.

Perry, who died at the age of 52 in March 2019 following a stroke, starred alongside Doherty and Jason Priestley in 90210.

The two costars had reunited once again at a Beverly Hills, 90210 panel at MegaCon Orlando on Saturday and looked back on some of the memories as they remembered their late co-star.

“It was shocking,” said Doherty. “I have a very visceral reaction whenever someone brings up Luke because as someone with cancer — and a really horrible cancer at stage 4 — I thought I would be the first to go.”

Doherty’s character in 90210, Brenda, shared a romance with Dylan, which was played by Perry.

She added, “So, when it was Luke, it really just sent me for a tailspin.”

At the MegaCon, Doherty also shared that while she and Perry were close during filming but in the years after the show “there were moments where we were not so close.”

“But later we became extremely close,” she continued. “So, to lose him as our relationship was just sort of flourishing as friends, and our respect and admiration for each other was coming to its fullest potential … it was just very hard.”

At the time of his death, Perry played Fred, Archie’s father in Riverdale. Doherty even appeared on the show for his tribute episode.

“I think it continues to be hard for all of us, and when we do cons or any signings and it’s all of us there, Luke’s presence is missed,” she said at MegaCon. “There’s a hole, for sure.”