It is not often I write about celebrity deaths. Most celebrities, even athletes, have very little impact on my life. There are, however, a few exceptions: Lou Gehrig, Pete Sampras, Paul O'Neil, Nick Lachey and Luke Perry. The big "five" as you might call my short list are the exception. Anything these celebrities/athletes go through, I am on top of it. I'd like to think that nothing escapes this fan. These five are always on my radar. Sadly, up until March 4th, my list only had one deceased member on it (Gehrig--who was overwhelmingly the oldest on the list). Now, Luke Perry has joined Lou and for the first time in my life, I am mourning the death of a person I never met.
I grew up in the 90's, when 90210 was the show. I admit I was caught up in the hype from the moment I first saw the show...but that moment didn't come when the show premiered in 1990. I was only 7 years old at that time and my parents did not allow me to watch 90210. When I was in high school, around 1996, reruns of the show began coming on TV, and my parents skeptically but willingly allowed me to start tuning in to episodes of the famous zip code. I still remember seeing Luke Perry's character, Dylan McKay, for the first time. I thought I was in love. He was the guy I wanted to date! He liked poetry. He surfed. Dylan McKay instantly became one of my favorite characters of all time. It's true Luke was really a teen idol and that elevated his stardom beyond what he probably even expected. The older I got and the more I followed Luke's career, I realized he was more than just a pretty face. You rarely heard anything about him in the media. Before social media and even before the Internet became prevalent in our society, Luke's face was plastered over teen magazines. You had to dig to find any information about him. When I went away to college, I took my Luke Perry pillow with me. I left my puzzle wall-sized picture of him behind in my childhood bedroom. Luke stayed with me when I bought my new apartment, where I proudly displayed the puzzle in my dining area for seven years. When I got married, my husband even wondered what my captivation with Mr. Perry was all about. I even wanted to name one of our sons Luke. Luke means "light" and that name sure suited the actor best (though his real name is Coy).
There was something so very special about this man, not just his portrayal of Dylan McKay the ultimate bad boy with a poetic side. That in itself was great. But Luke the actor, the person, was somewhat just as mysterious as his 90210 character. Perhaps that's what really drew me to Luke. He was the Sampras of the entertainment world. He flew under the radar and was overshadowed by many other handsome men, similar to Paul O'Neil on the World Series winning Yankee teams. Luke was a raw talent from Ohio, just like 98 degrees' Nick Lachey. He was humble, like the Iron Horse himself Lou Gehrig. Tragically and ironically, Luke's life was cut short just like Lou's life. Luke Perry embodied all the traits I would come to love and know about my most admired famous men. Still, he was an individual----with a family of his own. My heart breaks for his closest family and friends. What I knew of Luke can't compare to what they knew of the real Luke Perry. To me, he was just a dream, someone to inspire and touch my heart from a distance. Luke Perry, may you rest in peace. You were pulled away too soon.
No comments:
Post a Comment