Legendary actor and comedian Dick Van Dyke is facing his 100th birthday with remarkable candour, revealing he has no fear as life nears its close.
At 99, the Mary Poppins star said in a recent interview that he embraces the present, saying, ‘The end of my life is so much closer. When you expire, you expire. I don’t have any fear of death for some reason. I can’t explain that, but I don’t. I’ve had such a wonderfully full and exciting life. That I can’t complain.’
Van Dyke, whose career spans decades on screen and stage, admits growing older brings challenges, yet he remains determined to savour every moment.
Much of Van Dyke’s vitality, he says, comes from his wife, Arlene Silver, 54, whom he married in 2012. He credits her for keeping him happy and grounded.
‘She’s responsible for keeping me in the moment,’ he explained. ‘She kept me happy every day of my life, every day. She’s a joy. She can get me singing or dancing, and she carries so much responsibility … I’m just lucky.’
When asked about his milestone birthday, Van Dyke cracked a joke. ‘I hope I make it,’ he said. He added, ‘I feel really good for 100. I feel like I’m about 13.’ He acknowledged that energy levels fluctuate, but insisted, ‘Sometimes I have more energy than others, but I never wake up in a bad mood.’
Van Dyke Believes Optimism Keeps Him Going
Even as sight and hearing fail, Van Dyke’s outlook remains bright. He admitted, ‘My sight is so bad now,’ and described the daily frustrations of hearing loss. ‘I have trouble following group conversations and complain frequently about my hearing aids.’
He confessed that simple tasks have become harder with age, yet optimism fuels his spirit. ‘People say, “What did you do right?” I don’t know. I’m rather lazy. I’ve always thought that anger is one thing that eats up a person’s insides — and hate. And I never really was able to work up a feeling of hate. I think that is one of the chief things that kept me going.’
Van Dyke acknowledged disliking certain people and situations, but insisted, ‘But I never really was able to do a white heat kind of hate.’ He recalled his father, Loren Van Dyke, who struggled with anger until his death at 73.
Van Dyke Believes That His Children’s Songs are His ‘Legacy’
In his new book, 100 Rules for Living to 100, Van Dyke reflected on life lessons and how he hopes to be remembered. ‘Each rule springs from a story in my own life, which I believe has stuck itself in my memory for a good reason, because it had some broader emotional significance for me,’ he explained.
He also described his contributions to children’s entertainment as his lasting legacy. ‘What I left in the way of children’s entertainment and children’s music – that’s my legacy,’ he said. ‘I don’t think remembering me is that important. But it’s the music, the music we leave behind. For as long as children are proudly belting out their new word, “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious,” or singing and skipping along to “Chim Chim Cher-ee,” the most important part of me will always be alive.’
