Riverdale’s K.J. Apa posts sweet tribute to on-screen dad Luke Perry

K.J. Apa has paid tribute to his his on-screen dad, Luke Perry.

The Kiwi actor, who plays Archie Andrews on Riverdale, took to Instagram on Thursday to share a sweet photo of the late actor. "Rest in love bro," he captioned the post. The 21-year-old's Riverdale co-stars - including Mark Consuelos, Jordan Connor, Casey Cott and Marisol Nichols - took the comments to send their condolences to the actor. “Never forgotten… always with us,” Skeet Ulrich, who plays F.P. Jones, commented beneath the post. "Arohanui, KJ," Nathalie Boltt, who plays Penelope Blossom, added. The term is said to mean 'much love' or 'with deep affection'. The most recent episode of Riverdale was dedicated to Luke Perry - and, according to the series' show runner Roberto Aguirre Sacasa, as will all of the episodes "for the rest of our run." 52-year-old Perry - who played Fred Andrews on the CW series - passed away on Monday, five days after he suffered a stroke. Production on Riverdale was shut down on Monday following the news of Perry's death. Riverdale executive producers Aguirre-Sacasa, Greg Berlanti, Sarah Schechter, Jon Goldwater, Warner Bros. Television and The CW issued a statement about the "incredibly caring" actor "with a giant heart." They said [via Variety]:

"We are deeply saddened to learn today about the passing of Luke Perry. A beloved member of the Riverdale, Warner Bros. and CW family, Luke was everything you would hope he would be: an incredibly caring, consummate professional with a giant heart, and a true friend to all. "A father figure and mentor to the show's young cast, Luke was incredibly generous, and he infused the set with love and kindness. Our thoughts are with Luke's family during this most difficult time."