Dick Van Dyke graced a recent episode of Ted Danson’s Where Everybody Knows Your Name podcast, where he revealed that his wife missed out on his classics growing up. The 99-year-old is married to Arlene Silver, who had yet to see Mary Poppins when they first met.
Arlene was sure to point out during their first encounter that she had never even seen Van Dyke on TV, making him think she had no idea who he was. The 53-year-old clarified that her husband was quite famous at the time, but she just never watched him.
How did Dick Van Dyke meet his wife?
Van Dyke and Arlene’s first encounter was backstage at the Screen Actors Guild Awards event in 2006. It was over four decades since Van Dyke played chimney sweep Bert alongside the lead Julie Andrews. He earned a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actor in a Motion Picture Musical or Comedy for his performance but lost to Rex Harrison of My Fair Lady.
Van Dyke did not mind Arlene not knowing him — if anything, he preferred it. He recalled feeling like an ordinary guy because she was not impressed. For him, it was love at first sight, while it took Arlene a while to come to terms with their 46-year age gap.
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Dick Van Dyke’s career so far
Van Dyke’s Hollywood career has spanned nearly seven decades, with trials and triumphs along the way. The renowned actor has received multiple well-deserved accolades, including his own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and Disney Legend status, amongst others.
At 99, Van Dyke, who is the oldest person to be nominated for and win a Daytime Emmy Award, still has career goals and is not retiring yet. While receiving his award, he admitted that he could not believe he was still alive and so agile; therefore, he was willing to do more work. He also acknowledged Arlene, who produced the Dick Van Dyke special that earned him the recognition.
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