Jason Priestley Says Shannen Doherty and Luke Perry's Deaths 'Made Me Think About My Own Mortality'

Jason Priestley is reflecting on the deaths of his former Beverly Hills, 90210 costars.

In an interview with the Mirror published on Aug. 17, the actor, 54, spoke about the impact that the deaths of Luke Perry and Shannen Doherty have had on the way he lives his life.

Perry died in March 2019 at the age of 52 after experiencing a stroke. Doherty died in July 2024 at the age of 53 after being diagnosed with breast cancer.

"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," said the Wild Cards actor, a former race car driver who had a serious accident in 2002. Priestley turned 50 in August 2019, months after Perry's death.

“Luke’s passing away was totally a shock because there was nothing wrong with him. We were neighbors as well as friends and spent a lot of time together. We shared so much," he said.

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Although Doherty — who played Priestley's twin sister on the '90 -

Actor John Aprea, Known for His Roles in,...

s hit series — was open about her experience with cancer with her loved ones and on her podcast, Let's Be Clear with Shannen Doherty, Priestley told the Mirror that her death also came as a shock to him.

"I always admired her tenacity and her toughness, so even though I knew she was sick, her actually passing away was a big surprise, and sad for all of us," he said of Doherty. "She fought it for so long and seemed like she was able to manage it... until she wasn’t, unfortunately."

Priestley added: "Shannen was a force. And I feel very fortunate that in the last couple years, I got to spend quite a bit of time with her. I felt okay about her passing in so much as there was nothing left between us that was unsaid.”

He told the Mirror that he and his former Beverley Hills, 90210 costars keep a WhatsApp group active and enjoy reuniting at events.

“When we get together it’s like we’ve never been apart. Same jokes, same one-liners, except some of us are dads now, so we tell really bad dad jokes," Priestley said, referring to his male costars.

Related Articles

Follow Us

 ! New Kids on the Block Announce Their ,...