Dick Van Dyke was born Richard Wayne Van Dyke on December 13, 1925 in West Plains, Missouri, and raised in Danville, Illinois. The beloved comedian/actor turns 100 years old today. He is the son of Hazel Victoria (née McCord), a stenographer, and Loren Wayne "Cookie" Van Dyke, a salesman. He had a younger brother, Jerry McCord Van Dyke, born in Danville in 1931. Jerry, also an actor, passed away on January 5, 2018 at the age of 86.
Dick started out as a stand-up comedian while still attending Danville High School. At Danville High, he joined the drama club and the a cappella choir During his senior year, he left high school to join the United States Army Air Force for pilot training in World War II. He was denied enlistment several times because he was underweight. However, he was eventually approved as a radio announcer before joining the Special Services and entertaining the troop in the United States. He was discharged in 1946.
After World War II, Dick became a disc jockey at a radio station in his hometown of Danville, Illinois. In 1947, he formed a comedy duo with pantomime performer Phil Erickson. They called themselves "Eric and Van" and toured the West Coast nightclub circuit. In the early 1950s, Dick appeared on a New Orleans television station, first as a comedian, and then as the host of a comedy program. He appeared on Chance of a Lifetime with Dennis James, in 1954, and two episodes of The Phil Silvers Show in 1957-58. He also appeared on ABC's The Pat Boone Chevy Showroom and NBC's The Polly Bergen Show. During that period, a friend of Dick, who served as CBS executive, recommended him to the network. Van Dyke eventually signed a seven-year contract with CBS.
In 1959, Dick made his Broadway debut in the Girls Against the Boys. In 1961, He received a Tony Award for Beast Featured Actor in for his performance as Albert Peterson in Bye Bye Birdie.
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| Van Dyke in 1959 |
Dick is a very versatile performer. He is known for his film performances in Mary Poppins (1964), Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (1968), Divorce American Style (1967) and Bye Bye Birdie (1963), He also appeared in Night at the Museum (2006) and Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb (2014).
Dick has delighted audiences with his singing and dancing, He is also celebrated for his television role as comedy writer Rob Petrie on The Dick Van Dyke Show along with Mary Tyler Moore, Morey Amsterdam and Rose Marie. Carl Reiner created the sitcom and cast himself as the lead in the pilot. However, CBS insisted that the role be recast, and Reiner chose Dick to replace himself. The Dick Van Dyke Show aired on CBS from 1961 to 1966, with a total of 158 half-hour episodes, all filmed in black and white. Dick's portrayal of Rob Petrie earned him three Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Lead Actor.
Below is a photo of some major cast members of the Dick Van Dyke show. From left to right: Dick, Mary Tyler Moore, Morey Amsterdam and Richard Deacon. All of the main cast members have passed away except Dick and Larry Mathews, who played Ritchie Petrie, the son of Rob and Laura Petrie (Mary Tyler Moore). Larry is now 70 years old. Mary Tyler Moore and Rose Marie died in 2017, Morey Amsterdam in 1996 and Richard Deacon in 1984. Carl Reiner passed away in 2020 at the ripe old age of 98.
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| Mary Tyler Moore and Dick with Larry Matthews |
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| Larry Matthews |
Ann Morgan Guibert and Jerry Paris played Rob and Laura's neighbours, Millie and Jerry Helper. Ann, who portrayed Millie, died of pancreatic cancer in 2016. Jerry Paris, who played Millie's dentist husband, Jerry Helper, passed away in 1986, as the result of a brain tumour.
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| Ann Guibert |
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| Dick with Jerry Paris as Jerry Helper |
From 1971 to 1974, Van Dyke starred as Dick Preston, a Phoenix television host, in The New Dick Van Dyke Show, with Hope Lange as his wife, Jenny, and Angela Powell as their daughter, Annie. CBS had high hopes for the show and even agreed to film the production near Cave Creek, Arizona, where Dick and his family lived at the time. Carl Reiner created the sitcom, which ran for 72 episodes over three seasons. During the early years of the series, Reiner was was very involved, writing and directing episodes. However, he left the show when CBS refused to air an episode, "Lt. Preston of the 4th Cavalry." The episode featured an off-camera moment in which Annie walked in on her parents during an intimate moment. CBS claimed that this did not fit Van Dyke's wholesome image. A frustrated Reiner vowed not to work with the network again.
After Reiner's departure, Dick opted not to renew his contract. Dick was also not pleased that during its third season, the show had been retooled. Filming and setting had been moved to Hollywood and he had been uprooted from his Arizona home.
Dick appeared in a 1971 episode of The Cosby Show and a 1974 episode of Columbo with Peter Falk.
In 1977, he replaced Harvey Korman as a regular on The Carol Burnett Show, but left after only 11 episodes. Unfortunately, the show's writers couldn't adapt to Dick's comedy style. However, he has remained good friends with Carol.
Dick Van Dyke has not always played comedic roles. From 1993 until 2001, he starred in Diagnosis Murder as Dr. Mark Sloan, a medical doctor who solves crime with the help of his son, Steve, a homicide detective son, Steve. Steve Sloan was portrayed by Barry Van Dyke, Dick's real-life son.
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| Dick and Barry Van Dyke |
I think that the three greatest all-time TV comedians are Dick, Carol Burnett and Lucille Ball. Lucy passed away in 1989. Fortunately, Dick and Carol are still with us. Carol is 92 years young.
In a recent interview with People magazine, Dick said he felt "really good." He credited his attitude for his longevity and his lack of pain and discomfort. "I've always thought that anger is one thing that eats up a person's insides." He said that he's "rather lazy" and has never felt driven by the type of resentment that can worsen over time. He told People that "Sometimes I have more energy than others - but I never wake up in a bad mood." He explained that although disapproves of certain things and people, he "never really was able to work up a feeling of hate," and definitely not "a white-heat kind of hate." Dick also mentioned that his father, Loren Van Dyke, was "constantly upset by the state of things in his life and it did take him at 73 years old."
Here are Dick Van Dyke's secrets to longevity:
* Positive attitude
* Regular exercise
*Active lifestyle
* Healthy mindset
Dick has one simple indulgence, though. It's vanilla ice cream. He says the perfect ice cream sundae snack before bedtime is two large scoops of vanilla ice cream with a topping of chocolate syrup.
Dick Van Dyke has been married twice. He wed his first wife, Margie Willett, in 1948. They married on the radio show Bride and Groom because the show paid for a wedding ring, a honeymoon and household appliances. Dick and Margie had four children - Christian, Barry, Stacy and Carrie Beth - and divorced in 1984 after a lengthy separation. In 1976, Dick began a long term relationship with actress Michelle Triola Marvin. The pair lived together for more than 30 years, until her death from lung cancer in 2009.
On February 29, 2012, Dick married markup artist Arlene Silver, 46 years his junior. The couple first met six years earlier at the SAG Awards, where Arlene was working backstage.
I think that the three greatest all-time TV comedians are Dick, Carol Burnett and Lucille Ball. Lucy passed away in 1989. Fortunately, Dick and Carol are still with us. Carol is 92 years young.
END NOTES
* Dick Van Dyke released a new book on November 18, 2025. It is titled 100 Rules For Living To 100: An Optimist's Guide to a Happy Life
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* Dick has been greatly influenced by the physical comedy of Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy. He delivered the eulogy at Stan Laurel's funeral in 1965. He has also admired the work of Buster Keaton and Carl Reiner.
* In 2023, Dick appeared in four episodes of the soap opera Days of Our Lives. He played amnesiac Timothy Robichaux, also known as Mystery Man. In 2024, he won a Daytime Emmy for his guest performance on Days. At the age of 98, he became the oldest winner of a Daytime Emmy.
* Dick was inducted into the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1993 and the Television Walk of Fame in 1995.
SOURCES: The Independent, "Dick Van Dyke's secret to a long life? Not being angry," by Ellie Muir, December 4, 2025; Fox News, "Dick Van Dyke says living longer linked to his lack of hate and anger," by Khloe Quill, November 30, 2025; Yahoo.com, "The Simple Sweet Treat That Dick Van Dyke Loves," by Laura Christine Allan, November 30, 2025; Remind, "Inside Dick Van Dyke's Forgotten 1970s Sitcom," by Lauren Novak, December 13, 2025; Wikipedia; Internet Movie Database (IMDb)
- Joanne
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