I received this book for free from the publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
A Good Bad Boy by Margaret Wappler Published by Simon and Schuster on March 25, 2025
Genres: Biography & Autobiography / Entertainment & Performing Arts
Pages: 336
Format: ARC, Hardcover
Source: Publisher
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An artful and contemplative tribute to the late actor famed for his role as Dylan McKay in Beverly Hills, 90210.
Best known for playing loner rebel Dylan McKay in Beverly Hills, 90210, Luke Perry was fifty-two years old when he died of a stroke in 2019. There have been other deaths of nineties stars, but this one hit different. Gen X was reminded of their own inescapable mortality, and robbed of an exciting career resurgence for one of their most cherished icons—with recent roles in the hit series Riverdale and Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time...in Hollywood bringing him renewed attention and acclaim. Only upon his death, as stories poured out online about his authenticity and kindness, did it become clear how little was known about the exceedingly humble actor and how deeply he impacted popular culture.
In A Good Bad Boy, Margaret Wappler attempts to understand who Perry was and why he was unique among his Hollywood peers. To do so, she uses an inventive hybrid narrative. She speaks with dozens who knew Perry personally and professionally. They share insightful anecdotes: how he kept connected to his Ohio upbringing; nearly blew his 90210 audition; tried to shed his heartthrob image by joining the HBO prison drama Oz; and in the last year of his life, sought to set up two of his newly divorced friends. (After his death, the pair bonded in their grief and eventually married.) Amid these original interviews and exhaustive archival research, Wappler weaves poignant vignettes of memoir in which she serves as an avatar to show how Perry shaped a generation’s views on masculinity, privilege, and the ideal of “cool.”
Timed to the fifth anniversary of Perry’s death, A Good Bad Boy is a profound and entertaining examination of what it means to be an artist and an adult.
As a general rule, I don’t read books about celebrities. I was drawn to this book anyway and am not entirely sure why. I was in high school when Beverly Hills, 90210 premiered and I watched the show a bit at the height of its popularity. I enjoyed Luke Perry’s performance in 8 Seconds and Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I think more than anything Luke Perry represented an era to me. His death was more shocking to me than most celebrities. I remember sitting at Murry State University, while my daughter was in a session for potential students, scrolling through my phone when I saw the news and my heart broke just a little bit.
This book doesn’t dive all that deep into Luke Perry’s life. Honestly, I think that’s a good thing since his family and loved ones deserve their privacy. I was able to get a feel for how hard he worked and how kind he was to the people he worked with. As we move through Luke Perry’s life, the author also shares her own experiences during that time which I found interesting. I thought both aspects of the book did a great job of bringing back memories.
I enjoyed this book but I am not sure it is a book for everyone. For this Gen Xer, I had a great time learning just a bit about a man who was gone too soon while enjoying a few memories from years ago. I thought that this was a very readable account and would consider reading more of this author’s books in the future.
I received a review copy of this book from Simon & Schuster.
Lots of celebrity books out there, and i have read none. Maybe one day
It’s sad when we lose someone too soon like that. I’m glad this was a good read for you.
I just turned 20 when Beverly Hills 90210 came out and I remember it well. It is crazy and sad he died so young. I don’t read many memoirs, but I’m sure this would be an interesting one being an GenX-er as well. .
I watched 90210 and was sad when I heard Perry had died. I may add this book to my list for ’25. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
I loved 90210 though I only watched the first couple of seasons and was a big Dylan fan (though even at 11 I thought he looked a bit old for a highschooler). He seems like he was such a decent guy and his death was a tragic loss. I’ll have to give this one a try.