Washington [US], March 9: Actor and film producer Leonardo DiCaprio fondly recalled his meeting with the late Luke Perry on the set of Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time in Hollywood in a new documentary titled I Am Luke Perry. The documentary, produced by Perry’s Beverly Hills, 90210 co-star and close friend Jason Priestley, celebrates Perry’s legacy after his tragic passing in March 2019 at the age of 52 from complications of a stroke.
In the documentary, DiCaprio shared his thoughts on Perry, describing his immediate impression of the actor. “His kindness immediately struck me,” said the Titanic star, who appeared alongside Tarantino and co-star Margot Robbie. “Having been born and raised in Los Angeles, and worked in this industry my entire life, it has, in many ways, greatly shaped who I am. There was an immediate sense of excitement in seeing Luke Perry on set. It was incredible,” he added.
Perry played the role of real-life actor Wayne Maunder in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, recreating scenes from the pilot episode of the show Lancer. DiCaprio, on the other hand, portrayed Rick Dalton, a fictional actor known for his Western roles.
DiCaprio fondly remembered meeting Perry on set, recalling how, as a teenager, he admired Perry for his role in Beverly Hills, 90210, describing him as “the manifestation of the new James Dean on television” and how everyone was in awe of him. He also expressed the “overwhelming feeling of being starstruck” upon meeting Perry. However, DiCaprio was soon struck by Perry’s warm and generous nature. “I was so, struck, how do I say this, by the kindness of his character. [He was] just an incredibly generous human being,” DiCaprio shared.
Perry passed away just months before Once Upon a Time in Hollywood premiered in July 2019. Earlier that summer, DiCaprio spoke on the red carpet about his admiration for Perry, saying, “I grew up with him on Beverly Hills 90210, looking up to him as literally the coolest dude on Earth, and honestly, when I was on set, I was starstruck.” He added, “We got to sit down and chat. He couldn’t have been a more amazing human being. It’s a real tragic loss.”
I Am Luke Perry is now available for streaming.