KJ Apa has broken his silence on the death of his on-screen father Luke Perry.
KJ Apa
The 'Riverdale' star plays the late star's alter-ego Fred Andrew's son Archie Andrews in the CW drama, and he took to Instagram on Thursday (07.03.19) to pay his respects to his co-star, who sadly passed away on Monday (04.03.19) at the age of 52, just days after suffering a stroke.
Alongside a touching picture of Luke smiling whilst on a boat, he simply wrote: "Rest in Love bro. (sic)"
Skeet Ulrich - who played FP Jones in 'Riverdale' - added to the comments of KJ's post: "Never forgotten ... always with us."
Earlier in the day, the 'A Dog's Purpose' actor shared on his Instagram Story that he was listening to the song 'The Background' by Third Eye Blind, which features the heartbreaking lyrics: "Everything is quiet/Since you're not around/And I live in the numbness now/In the background."
Cole Sprouse - who portrays Jughead Jones - recently paid a touching tribute to Luke, saying California was "crying now" after his passing.
He said: "There's a thousand things. All of us are -- I don't think there was a single bad thing I've ever heard said about that guy, truly. He is so loved. California is crying right now."
Wednesday night's (06.03.19) episode of 'Riverdale', the first since Luke's passing, paid tribute to the actor.
At the end of the teen series, a black screen featured a dedication to Luke, which read: "In Memoriam Luke Perry 1966-2019."
And the show's creator, Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, vowed to dedicate all future 'Riverdale' episodes to Luke, too.
He wrote: "Going through pictures on my way to set. From the early days. With Luke in the middle. Our heart, always. Tonight's episode of #Riverdale finds Fred doing what he does best--helping Archie. It is dedicated to Luke, as all episodes will be for the rest of our run. (sic)"
The episode featured Luke's character, who heroically came to his son Archie's (KJ) rescue when he was being attacked in their home.
Production on the show was temporarily halted on Monday and Tuesday (05.03.19) to give stars time to grieve.
The show was renewed for a fourth series in January, but it is not yet known how the plot will be changed following Luke's shock death.
'Riverdale' executive producers Roberto, Greg Berlanti, Sarah Schechter and Jon Goldwater, along with producer Warner Bros. TV and The CW, said in a joint statement: "We are deeply saddened to learn today about the passing of Luke Perry. A beloved member of the 'Riverdale', Warner Bros. and CW family.
"Luke was everything you would hope he would be: an incredibly caring, consummate professional with a giant heart, and a true friend to all. A father figure and mentor to the show's young cast.
"Luke was incredibly generous, and he infused the set with love and kindness. Our thoughts are with Luke's family during this most difficult time."
Tagged in Luke Perry KJ Apa