Dick Van Dyke turns 100, reflects on aging with humor: 'I still try to dance'
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Actor, dancer and comedic icon Dick Van Dyke turns 100 today, a milestone that few ever reach.
At a century old, Van Dyke remains a symbol of boundless energy and timeless charm, having sung and danced his way into America’s heart over a career spanning nearly eight decades.
To mark the occasion, theaters across the country are screening a new documentary, 'Dick Van Dyke: 100th Celebration', offering fans a look back at the life and legacy of one of Hollywood’s most enduring stars.
Dick Van Dyke defined a generation of television
Van Dyke’s influence on American entertainment is difficult to overstate. He rose to stardom as the affable, quick-witted Rob Petrie on 'The Dick Van Dyke Show', the groundbreaking CBS sitcom that ran for five seasons and helped redefine television comedy in the 1960s.
The series cemented him as one of the most recognizable and beloved actors of his era, setting the stage for a film career that would make him a household name across generations.
From sitcom star to Disney legend
Early in his career, Van Dyke said he wanted to make films his children could watch, a goal realized when Walt Disney cast him in 'Mary Poppins'.
His performance as Bert, complete with a famously questionable Cockney accent, became iconic, especially alongside Julie Andrews’ practically perfect nanny.
He followed it up with another family classic, 'Chitty Chitty Bang Bang', further solidifying his place in movie history.
Van Dyke once joked that his accent even cost him a shot at another legendary role. “Yeah, I could have been James Bond,” he told CBS Sunday Morning in 2023. “When Sean Connery left, the producer said, ‘Would you like to be the next Bond?’ I said, ‘Have you heard my British accent?’ Click!”
Dick Van Dyke is still making history
Over his storied career, Van Dyke has won four Primetime Emmy Awards, a Tony Award and a Grammy Award, and was inducted into the Television Hall of Fame in 1995.
Just last year, he became the oldest winner of a Daytime Emmy Award for a guest appearance on 'Days of Our Lives'.
“I’ll be darned,” he told Entertainment Tonight at the time. “I think I’m the last of my generation. I have almost all my marbles. I can’t remember what I had for breakfast.”
An Oscar is the only major award missing from his resume, leaving him just shy of the coveted EGOT. Van Dyke has made it clear that he’d still welcome one. “I hope it’s not posthumous,” he joked.
Dick Van Dyke talks about life lessons at 100
Van Dyke has spoken candidly about his struggles with alcoholism in the 1970s and his journey to sobriety, which he credits with helping him enjoy a long and active life.
“I’m on my third generation,” he told CBS Sunday Morning in 2023, marveling at the young fans who continue to discover his work. “I’m getting letters from little kids, and that is what I love.”
Reaching 100 has also given him perspective on aging- including the way he once portrayed elderly characters. “I played old men a lot, and I always played them as angry and cantankerous,” he told ABC News. “It’s not really that way.”
Van Dyke has long credited his wife, Arlene Silver, a 54-year-old makeup artist and producer, with keeping him young and active.
“If I had known I was gonna live this long, I would’ve taken better care of myself,” he said, laughing, while noting that Silver makes sure he goes to the gym several times a week.
Born in West Plains, Missouri, in 1925 and raised in Danville, Illinois, Van Dyke was the self-described “class clown,” inspired by silent film comedians.
Five years ago, while receiving a Kennedy Center Honor, he spoke eagerly about reaching 100. “George Burns made it, and I’m gonna do it too,” he said.
Now that he has, Van Dyke says he feels grateful, even if there are challenges. “I miss movement,” he told ABC News. “I’ve got one game leg from I don’t know what.” Still, he added with a grin, “I still try to dance.”
