At 98, Dick Van Dyke still sings with his group, The Vantastix, and still makes it all look easy. When asked how important is it that he's having fun when he's doing it, Van Dyke replied, "My whole career has depended on that. If I'm not enjoying myself, I'm really bad, I am. It's such a blessing to find a way of making a living that you love, that you'd do for nothing. I feel so sorry for people who hate their job. I look forward to going to work every morning!"
And some of his work helped define a generation. Take "The Dick Van Dyke Show"; it ran for five years on CBS, and it was such a hit that they're bringing it back, sort of. This week, CBS will air a two-hour tribute, "Dick Van Dyke, 98 Years of Magic," and for the occasion, they even re-created the original "Dick Van Dyke Show" set, down to that well-known ottoman.
The famous living room is an example of mid-century modern design, but the scripts had no reference to time period – no pop culture, no slang, no politics. They wanted "The Dick Van Dyke Show" to be like the man himself: timeless.
Dick Van Dyke's Career: From Family-Friendly Films to Iconic Roles
Throughout his career, Dick Van Dyke has always had a special focus on creating films that his children could watch. This dedication caught the attention of none other than Walt Disney himself, who promptly cast Van Dyke in the beloved film "Mary Poppins," despite his questionable cockney accent.
Following his success in "Mary Poppins," Van Dyke continued to work on family-friendly projects, including the classic "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang," which was co-written by James Bond creator Ian Fleming.
Despite being typecast as the good guy in many of his roles, Van Dyke claims that he once had the opportunity to play James Bond. However, he turned down the offer due to his lack of confidence in his British accent.
Van Dyke's career continued to flourish with more movies such as "Dick Tracy," "Night at the Museum," and the recent "Mary Poppins Returns." He also made a successful transition to television with shows like "Diagnosis: Murder."
In addition to his professional achievements, Van Dyke also battled and overcame alcoholism. He remains grateful for the impact his work has had on generations of viewers, especially children who continue to watch his movies repeatedly.
As Van Dyke reflects on his career, he states, "I'm on my third generation. I'm getting letters from little kids, and that is what I love, that they watch the movies over and over. I'm getting so much more mail today than I did during the heyday of my career."
"I've got a few steps left in me!" - Dick Van Dyke as Mr. Dawes Jr., in "Mary Poppins Returns"
It seems that in show biz the true legends never stop. Just look at this "Sunday Morning" interview from 2017 with his friends Norman Lear and Carl Reiner, in which Van Dyke described what it was like hitting 90: "People are more afraid of aging than they are of death these days. And we need to tell them that there's a lot of good living to do."
Lear was also thankful: "I can get applause just standing up!"
Smith asked, "The last time that I sat down and had a long conversation with you, it was with Norman on one side, and Carl."
"Yes. My two favorite human beings," Van Dyke replied. "Both gone, yeah. I can't believe it."
"Is it hard to wrap your mind around that?"
"Yes. Well, everybody I knew and worked with, there's no one left."
"How do you deal with that?"
"Well, I try not to, by making new friends and, you know, getting involved in a lotta things, try to keep busy," he replied.
"Do you think about why you're still around?" Smith asked.
"As I've said, if I had known I was gonna live this long, I would've taken better care of myself!" Van Dyke said. "Yeah, 'cause I went through that whole period of alcoholism. But my wife, God bless her, makes sure that I go to the gym three days a week and do a full workout."
And his workouts are pretty legendary, as Anthony Mason saw in 2021, but it's kept him going and going.
Van Dyke expressed in his autobiography "Keep Moving" that it is important to not be afraid of death, but rather to be more afraid of not fully experiencing life. He emphasized the significance of living life to the fullest and having the courage to try new things, even if they result in failure.
Furthermore, Van Dyke's confidence is evident in his habit of completing the New York Times crossword puzzle in pen.
Despite his confidence, the recent taping of his special left him speechless. He expressed his astonishment and stated that he was beyond words, even joking about being awake past his bedtime without feeling sleepy.
Accompanied by his wife Arlene, the tribute to Van Dyke's remarkable life is something he still finds hard to believe. He claims that none of his success was planned, admitting that he was not skilled in business and often found himself unemployed because he did not actively seek out opportunities.
When asked how he felt about this, Van Dyke replied honestly, acknowledging that it was a result of his lack of assertiveness.
"I didn't really mind it. I'm actually quite lazy. When I'm having fun, it's all good. But I'm just a lazy person. I've been really fortunate. Someone has always come along and helped me out."
"So it just happened?"
"Yes, it just happened!"
And then, right in front of us, it happened again: Joined by The Vantastix, he started singing once more... and the weight of almost a century disappeared, and Dick Van Dyke was still the happy kid he's always been.
For more information:
- "Dick Van Dyke: 98 Years of Magic" premieres on CBS on December 21, and will be available for streaming the next day on Paramount+
- Dick Van Dyke and The Vantastix
Story produced by John D'Amelio. Editor: Mike Levine.
