During the course of his 10 seasons on mega-hit 1990s teen drama “Beverly Hills, 90210,” Jason Priestley made his debut behind the camera as director. Since then, he’s continued to direct numerous TV series — most recently, several episodes of “My Life with the Walter Boys” for Netflix.
In a recent interview, Priestley recalled those early days breaking into directing with “90210.”
During his reminiscing, Priestly grew emotional over a memory of directing late co-star Luke Perry.
Directing Luke Perry
During Priestley’s recent appearance on the “Best with Them” podcast, he was asked about his favorite moment as a director. He did not have to think about it long before offering a memory.
“My favorite directing moment? In Luke Perry’s last episode that he ever did, you know, Luke falling to his knees in the rain — we had rain towers everywhere — Luke was falling to his knees, looking up at the heavens, and crying out,” Priestley remembered.
As fans of the show will recall, Perry’s character Dylan McKay had just learned that his wife Toni had been fatally shot after her father had taken out a hit on Dylan.
Remembering His Late Co-Star
As director, Priestley felt his job was to capture the scene in the most dramatic fashion possible.
“I had the camera on a crane, pulling away from him in the rain,” Priestley recalled.
“Luke and I were just having the best time shooting all that stuff and I think back to those kind of moments a lot now that he’s gone,” he added, becoming visibly emotional remembering Perry.
Asked if he missed his late co-star, Priestley offered a nod while struggling not to break down in tears.
His Passing at 52 Shocked Luke Perry’s Co-Stars
Perry was just 52 years old when he passed away in March 2019 after a stroke.
In The CW’s 2025 documentary, “I Am Luke Perry,” Priestley revealed that he first learned of Perry’s stroke via their fellow “90210” alum Jennie Garth.
“Jennie told me that Luke had had a stroke and they were — and he was on his way to the hospital,” he said, as reported by People.
At that time, Priestley admitted he was “shocked,” but felt confident Perry would pull through.
“I’m an eternal optimist,” he said in the documentary. “I thought, ‘Yeah, he’s had a stroke. My dad had a stroke a few years ago. He’ll be okay.’”
A Wakeup Call
In a 2024 interview with The Mirror, Priestley opened up about how Perry’s passing had impacted him, serving as a bit of a wakeup call in terms of living his own life.
“It has made me think about my own mortality. I woke up on my 50th birthday and I realized that I’d already lived most of my life,” he said, reflecting on how suddenly life can be taken away in this unpredictable world.
“Luke’s passing away was totally a shock because there was nothing wrong with him,” Priestley observed. “We were neighbors as well as friends and spent a lot of time together. We shared so much.”
