Brian Austin Green Had A Poignant Takeaway From Luke Perry's Heartbreaking Death

Losing a loved one too soon is never easy, but for former "Beverly Hills, 90210" star Brian Austin Green, he was able to find a small silver lining to the passing of his former co-star, Luke Perry. The Hallmark star died in March 2019 after suffering a massive stroke in his Sherman Oaks, California, home. At only 52 years old, Perry's death came as a shock to his extensive community of family, friends, and former and current colleagues. 

Perry's "Riverdale" co-star Lili Reinhart tweeted about his passing, saying she was "finding it hard to grasp that he will no longer be around to give long hugs and share his wisdom and kindness." Fellow "Riverdale" colleague Molly Ringwald echoed similar sentiments on the social media platform, saying her "heart is broken." 

Despite the intense grief Perry's loved ones felt after his passing, "90210" alum Brian Austin Green believed that, given the circumstances, Perry's death was the best thing that could have happened following his massive stroke. As he explained on an episode of "Comfort Food with Kelly Rizzo," Green believed that the recovery process from a stroke would've been too difficult and disheartening for the normally sharp-minded, sociable actor.

"Beverly Hills, 90210" alum Brian Austin Green explained on the "Comfort Food with Kelly Rizzo" podcast that he was devastated that his co-star, Luke Perry's, stroke ended up being fatal. He explained having to reconcile with the fact that strokes are often survivable, particularly for someone as young as Perry. However, Green admitted that he believed his colleague would have struggled with the changes to his mental and physical state in recovery had he survived. 

"I knew there was a part of me with him, with the loss of him, where I felt like maybe that was the best thing to happen for him because ... Luke took pride in who he was," Green said. "He was very quick-witted. He was very kind. He was very generous. To not have any of those, any of those things missing at all, would have so severely affected him. I think for recovery, possibly taking for years anywhere near there, it would have been really, really difficult for him." 

Green said he believed his co-star had an all-or-nothing personality and that dealing with the aftermath of a stroke might've been too much for Perry. "There was no middle ground," Green explained. However, for Green, dealing with Perry's death very much was an in-between limbo of acknowledgment and denial of his friend's death.

Luke Perry might not have been a man willing to remain in limbo, but for Brian Austin Green, that was what the immediate aftermath of Perry's death felt like. Green spoke to People the month Perry died, admitting he had texted his former co-star after hearing the news of his passing. The actor said although he knew he wouldn't receive a text back, he had hoped his message would somehow make its way to Perry anyway.

"I don't totally believe it," Green told People. "There's a part of me, much like the death of Elvis, that I expect Luke to walk around a corner in an airport or at a gas station. I don't fully believe that Luke is gone. Luke has been in my life for a long time, and we had a really special relationship. Luke was one of those people that nobody had a bad story about. He was just a great guy. He was a rock."

From the casts "Beverly Hills, 90210" to "Riverdale" and countless others, those who remembered Perry overwhelmingly mentioned his compassion, attentiveness, and warm hugs. Those who loved Perry keep his memory alive by honoring him on his birthday and death anniversaries. As Green told People, that's what he believed Perry would've wanted. "He is not one that wants us to mourn him. He wants us to celebrate him," Green said.