Opinion
Legendary Hollywood star Dick Van Dyke turns 98 today, and while he’s happy to celebrate the occasion, there’s one “sad” aspect to it that anyone of a certain age can certainly relate to.
Van Dyke’s ‘sad’ birthday moment
CBS recently taped a birthday special for Van Dyke titled “Dick Van Dyke 98 Years of Magic,” which will air on December 21. The two-hour special features both archival footage and live performances of some of the best moments from Van Dyke’s performances. iconic career spanning 75 years. Although Van Dyke thoroughly enjoyed filming this special, there was one aspect that left him feeling a little sad.
“I had some friends there who said nice things, but Mary Tyler Moore, Morey [Amsterdam] and Rosie [Rose Marie]Carl Reiner, Norman Lear, all the people I used to love and hang out with are gone, so I have to make new friends,” Van Dyke told People Magazine.
Fortunately, this isn’t that difficult for someone like Van Dyke.
“I’m happy to say that people are coming to me,” he added. “I don’t have to go looking.”
The most recent person in that group of legendary stars to pass away was Lear, who died last week at the age of 101.
Full story: Norman Lear dead at 101
Van Dyke had a blast filming the anniversary special
Despite all this, Van Dyke still enjoyed filming his birthday special, describing it as a surreal experience.
“You think, ‘I don’t deserve this,’ but it’s hard to say how I felt,” he said. “I came home and said, ‘You know something? It will take a few days before it really sinks in that it happened.’ I never expected that kind of recognition. My whole life passed me by. I didn’t know I had done so many things when I was in show business for 75 years.”
“I was just blown away,” he added.
As for how Van Dyke will celebrate his actual birthday today, he plans to keep things low-key by spending time at his Southern California home with his wife Arlene Silver, 52, and several of his grandchildren.
“I don’t really care for traditions, I don’t think,” he explained, though he went on to admit that he still finds joy in “every day of my life.”
“My wife brings me a cup of coffee in the morning,” he said. “I get it in bed. I am treated like a king here.”
Related: Dick Van Dyke to be honored by CBS as he turns 98
Van Dyke’s Romantic History
Silver is Van Dyke’s second wife, as he was previously married to Margie Willett from 1948 until they divorced in 1984. After his divorce, he dated actress Michelle Triola for over thirty years before she passed away in 2009. met Silver at the 2007 Screen Actors Guild Awards, when he was 81 and she was 35.
“I just went up and said, ‘Hi, I’m Dick.’ I don’t know how I got the courage,” he recalls. “Anyway, we ended up getting married. She sings like an angel. She dances, and we do a whole act together. We do duets and stuff. She is the best partner I have ever encountered. What a pleasure.”
Related: Dick Van Dyke Praises 52-Year-Old Wife Arlene Silver as He Prepares to Turn 98
Van Dyke is a true living legend, and there will never be another legend like him. If you want to celebrate his birthday with him, listen to “Dick Van Dyke 98 Years of Magic” when it airs Thursday, December 21 at 9 PM ET on CBS!
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