'Riverdale's' KJ Apa says loss of Luke Perry will have to be addressed on show
Last week on "Riverdale," the final scenes from Luke Perry were aired and as usual, they were heartfelt and supportive towards his character's son Archie.
But they also didn't bring any closure or conclusion to the role, given the sudden death of Perry earlier this year.
"Riverdale" star and Perry's son on the show, KJ Apa, says that's because the loss is still so fresh and tough on the cast and crew. Perry died at the age of 52 last month, days after suffering a stroke.
"His legacy is gonna live on in the lives around him, that he worked with," the young star told Entertainment Tonight. "I'm never gonna forget him and I think it's still very fresh and we're all still dealing with it."
Perry played Archie's father Fred, along with Molly Ringwald's estranged husband. Apa said Archie will need some kind of parental figure and moral compass, so maybe Ringwald can play a bigger part in the series.
"We're definitely gonna obviously have to address it at some point. [Maybe] that [means] Molly stepping in as more of an active parent for Archie, but that all depends on the availability of the actors around us. So, you know, we'll do what we can," he added.
Last week, producer Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa tweeted that the scenes in last Wednesday night's episode were the last the late actor shot.
"As always, Fred’s imparting words of wisdom to Archie. A beautiful, true moment between a father and his son. Wish these scenes could go on forever..." the producer added.
In his final scenes for the show, Perry as Fred Andrews shows the caring, mature, calming side of the character like no other actor could.
His son, Archie, is concerned and dealing with guilt that he may have had something to do with the death of a boxing opponent, Randy, but Andrews soothes the situation and tells his son he's "innocent" as "Randy died from drugs."
His final scene isn't long, but it was effective and warm.
