After countless auditions, the Ohio native landed his first role as Ned Bates on the soap opera Loving in the late '80s.
After a few years of soap opera work, Perry landed the role of a lifetime as resident rebel Dylan McKay on Beverly Hills, 90210. The show lasted for 10 seasons and became a cult classic.
The success of the show turned Perry and his castmates into breakout stars and helped them amass significant fan followings.
On the personal front, he wed Minnie Sharp in 1993 and the two calling it quits in 2003. At the time of his death, he was engaged to Wendy Madison Bauer.
Perry became a dad times two during his marriage to Sharp, first to son Jack in 1997 and then to daughter Sophie in 2000.
TV Star
Perry landed a variety of roles on TV shows in his years after 90210, from Oz and Jeremiah to John from Cincinnati. In 2017, he was cast in The CW's show, Riverdale.
His Final Act
He appeared on Riverdale as Fred Andrews for three seasons of the show. At the time of his passing, he had also been cast in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood as Scott Lancer.
A Sudden Farewell
In 2015, he faced a colorectal cancer scare after a colonoscopy revealed precancerous growths. Just days after suffering a stroke in March 2019, Perry passed away surrounded by his loved ones.