He’s lived for nearly a century. On Thursday, Dec. 5, Hollywood legend Dick Van Dyke appeared on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” just days before his 99th birthday. The “Mary Poppins” star, who turned 98 this year, will mark the milestone on Dec. 13. Coldplay musician Chris Martin was also on the show, discussing Van Dyke’s appearance in Martin’s music video for “All My Love” with his son Barry, 73. Martin, 47, reminisced about witnessing Dick and Barry’s father-son dynamic. “I saw Barry approach Dick and ask, ‘Dad, can I turn the pool slide on?’” Martin recounted. The “Fix You” singer added, “It was touching because it was like a son and his dad. But they’re collectively 176 years old.” Van Dyke then quipped, “I’m old enough to be Joe Biden’s father!”
In addition to Barry, Van Dyke is also father to Christian, 74, Stacy, 68, and Carrie, 62. He had his children with his late ex-wife, Margie Willett. His current wife, makeup artist Arlene Silver, is younger than his kids, with a 46-year age gap from the “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang” star. Earlier this year, Van Dyke admitted, “I’m pretty old,” but regarding his 99th birthday in December, he said, “Just praying that I make it.”
In September, concerns arose when Van Dyke missed a planned appearance at the 2024 Emmys and a fan convention in Utah. “We are sorry to announce that Dick Van Dyke is not able to travel to FanX,” read a statement from FanX, the event organizer. “He expresses his gratitude to all of those who continue to support him but, at almost 99 years of age, traveling and interacting with thousands of people is more than he is able to do at this time.”
In December 2023, during the “Dick Van Dyke 98 Years of Magic CBS” special, his “Mary Poppins” co-star Julie Andrews recalled meeting the actor during the 1964 Disney musical shoot. “As I arrived on that very first day, Dick was already working with the choreographers and the dancers,” Andrews explained. She fondly remembered Van Dyke as “young, fit as can be and really gorgeous to look at.” “I’d never made a movie before, and I’d given birth to my lovely daughter Emma nearly six weeks earlier, and I quickly realized that I had better pull my socks up and get in shape,” she said. The “Princess Diaries” star added: “I found it pretty daunting, I can tell you. Dick could not have been kinder, more genuinely sweet and helpful. I like to think that we did bond instantly. How lucky I was to have him by my side for my first venture in Hollywood.”
Van Dyke did attend the 2024 Creative Arts Emmy Awards on September 7, where his CBS special, “Dick Van Dyke 98 Years of Magic,” won the award for Outstanding Variety Special. Van Dyke made history by becoming the oldest ever Daytime Emmy Awards winner in June. During his speech, he joked, “If I’d known I was going to live this long I’d have taken better care of myself.”
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