'Absolutely heartbroken': Hollywood tributes pour in for actor Luke Perry, dead at 52

This week Luke Perry fans got the shocking news that the beloved actor had died of a massive stroke. He was just 52 years old.

Tributes have been pouring in for the 90210 and Riverdale star, who was one of the 1980s' biggest heartthrobs, and went on to work on myriad TV shows and films, from the 1992 Buffy the Vampire Slayer film to the brutal correctional facility series Oz.

Now many Hollywood stars are expressing shock and grief, many of them saying that Perry was an especially kind, decent and humble person.

"So heartbroken about Luke. He was a father, brother, friend, and mentor. Each night before he had to shoot a scene, he'd call me and we'd talk about...everything. I will miss those calls," tweeted Riverdale creator Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa. "And my heart goes out to all his family and friends."

Fellow Riverdale star and fellow '80s icon Molly Ringwald, who played Perry's ex-wife, also took to Twitter. "I will miss you so much Luke Perry," she wrote. "Sending all my love to your family."

"I'm finding it hard to grasp that he will no longer be around to give long hugs and share his wisdom and kindness with all of us," wrote Riverdale co-star Lili Reinhart. "I'm thinking of his family. His children. I pray for them to heal and find peace in this devastating loss."

Many 90210- and Buffy-era colleagues also shared tributes online.

"Dearest Luke, I will forever bask in the loving memories we've shared over the last thirty years," 90210 co-star Ian Ziering on Twitter. "May your journey forward be enriched by the magnificent souls who have passed before you, just like you have done here, for those you leave behind."

"The first time I met Luke Perry we talked about what kind of movie we wanted 'Buffy' to be. I asked if he'd ever seen 'Near Dark' and he gave me a look of HOW DARE YOU SIR and I knew we'd get along," wrote Buffy the Vampire Slayer creator Joss Whedon. "Funny, committed, and always gracious. He shouldn't be gone."

Perry's Buffy co-star Kristy Swanson says she awoke knowing something was wrong. "I abruptly woke at 4:30am thinking about you Luke & I couldn't go back to sleep, then 5 hours later I hear you are gone. The tears won't stop & they never ever will. You were that guy, that forever friend, we always had each others back & I will always remember you this way."

Perry's longtime 90210 castmate Shannen Doherty also paid tribute in a statement to People magazine. "I am in shock. Heartbroken. Devastated by the loss of my friend. I have so many memories with Luke that make me smile and that are forever imprinted on my heart and mind," she wrote. "Luke was a smart, quiet, humble and complex man with a heart of gold and never-ending well of integrity and love. Luke reached out to me during my cancer journey and we picked right back up, albeit older and wiser, but that connection remained intact."

"I'm in utter shock and heartbroken," wrote fellow 90210 star Tori Spelling. "I'm saddened for his kids whom he adored beyond words. He was so proud of Jack and Sophie. Luke was one of the kindest and most humble human beings I've ever known. I'm grateful for the years of friendship we had. He truly was family to me, a protector and a brother. I'm so sorry for the loss that everyone is experiencing."

Following are more tributes, including from The Killers, Patricia Arquette, Seth Green and others.