Dick Van Dyke - The 10th Decade

Dick Van Dyke Show

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Dick’s tenth decade has proven as busy and as fulfilling as one would expect from a legend who attributes his longevity to staying physically active and spiritually young.

On December 13, 2015, Dick celebrated his 90th birthday as the jolly holiday it was. The previous day, he was greeted with a flash mob at The Grove shopping center in Los Angeles. Around 50 dancers in costume performed selections from Mary Poppins. Dick later joined them in a rendition of “Let’s Go Fly a Kite.”

On December 14, Dick enjoyed a numerous festivities at Disneyland, including a parade, the dedication of a silhouette of Bert at the Jolly Holiday Bakery, a performance by the Vantastix, and fans singing “Happy Birthday” while Dick and Arlene looked on from a balcony of the Dream Suite in New Orleans Square.

Dick published a book entitled, appropriately, Keep Moving: And Other Tips and Truths About Aging, an engaging collection of reminiscences and advice for living fully...at any age.

On June 23, 2016, Dick returned to his hometown of Danville, Illinois. The purpose of the brief trip was two-fold: to save his childhood home (slated for demolition) in hopes of turning it into a museum and to launch the Dandy Vandy Dick Van Dyke Foundation to nurture young talent through scholarships, encouragement, and support to schools, performing arts groups, and accomplished young performers.

Dick arrived in a replica of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and was greeted by the Danville High School show choir. A musical tribute at DHS and a reception were held, raising approximately $50,000 for the foundation and the house where Dick lived in the 1930s. It had been 12 years since he last visited Danville.

A 24-minute documentary about his visit entitled “Welcome Home, Dick Van Dyke” is currently making the rounds of film festivals.

Restoration on the house is slated to begin in mid-July 2017. A documentary about the rehab project is also being considered.

Dick was honored with the inaugural “America’s Clown Award” at the 2017 Red Skelton Festival in Vincennes, Indiana, the hometown of Skelton. Dick will provide a video acceptance speech. Anne Pratt, executive director of the Red Skelton Museum of American Comedy, says Dick’s “comedic body of work and the joy he has brought to so many over the years” embodies Skelton’s spirit.

Fans young and old agree, Dick still has the moves. One can’t help but smile when witnessing his zest for life. Each and every day is a jolly holiday with Dick Van Dyke.

Dick is also featured in the HBO documentary If You’re Not in the Obit, Eat Breakfast, hosted by Carl Reiner, the title actually inspired by Reiner’s motto for getting up and getting on with life.

Other featured nonagenarians include Tony Bennett, Mel Brooks, Kirk Douglas, Norman Lear, Stan Lee, and Betty White. Reiner describes Dick as “the most agile human being I’ve ever seen in my life.” That legendary agility is on display in the music video “Never Had to Go” by The Dustbowl Revival.

In Februrary 2023, Dick stunned judges and fans of The Masked Singer when he appeared as a Gnome and sang “When You’re Smiling,” a tune made famous by Billie Holliday, Frank Sinatra, and Judy Garland. When the panel (Robin Thicke, Ken Jeong, Nicole Scherzinger, and Jenny McCarthy-Wahlberg) heard some of the clues of Dick’s storied career, including having worked with the likes of Robin Williams, Ben Stiller, Lin-Manuael Miranda, and Madonna, their guesses for the identity of the mystery performer ranged from Mel Brooks and Robert DeNiro to Dustin Hoffman. When Dick was finally revealed, the audience’s enthusiasm was palpable. Celebrity judge Scherzinger actually sobbed, the others gushing over Dick’s iconic status and the magical delivery of his musical number. By the smile on his face and the sparkle in his eyes, Dick relished the entire experience.

Dick Van Dyke on The Masked Singer

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In September 2023, Dick made his soap opera debut on Peacock’s Days of Our Lives, portraying an amnesiac war veteran mystery man named Timothy Robicheaux, who turned out to be the father of Days favorite John Black. It was Dick’s friendship with actor Drake Hogestyn (John), his frequent workout buddy at the gym, which made the cameo possible. Dick’s performance was magical, charming Days fans and the DOOL family alike. On day two, the 97-year old icon got to demonstrate his musical gifts, collaborating on a touching rendition of “Tea for Two” with Days legends Bill and Susan Seaforth Hayes. Arlene even shared a flirtatious scene with him as Salem PD Officer Silver. Dick’s fans appreciated all the Easter Eggs distributed throughout the four-day story arc, including references to a flying car, a chimney sweep, and how attractive that certain police officer was. As for the future? “They told me I might show up in the story at some later date,” Dick confided. “So I said, ‘I’ll be there.’”

More recently in April 2024, Dick, at age 98, received an Emmy nomination for his guest performance in the daytime drama series - breaking a record as the oldest Daytime Emmy nominee in history. Dick’s friend, the late Norman Lear, received a Primetime Emmy nomination in 2022 at the age of 100. a four-part plot line on Days of Our Lives, breaking a record as the oldest Daytime Emmy nominee in history. Dick’s friend, the late Norman Lear, received a Primetime Emmy nomination in 2022 at the age of 100.

Dick Van Dyke on Days Of Our Lives

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On June 7, 2024, Dick became the oldest actor ever to win a Daytime Emmy Award for his guest appearance on Days of Our Lives. This marks his sixth competitive Emmy Award (three Primetime Emmys for The Dick Van Dyke Show, one Primetime Emmy for Van Dyke & Company, one daytime Emmy for The Wrong Way Kid, and this most current Daytime Emmy for DOOL).

With Arlene by his side, he took the stage and said, "I don't believe this. I feel like a spy from nighttime television." He concluded his heartfelt acceptance speech by relating how this award had topped off "eighty years in the business. I love you. God bless."

Dick Van Dyke Acceptance Speech

Move over Tootle, Scuffy the Tugboat, and the Poky Little Puppy. Dick Van Dyke is the newest Little Golden Book subject. Part of its biography series, the book by author Christy Webster and illustrator Hollie Hibbert, covers the highlights of Dick’s life—from his youth in Danville, Illinois, and early career in radio, in the Air Force, and on the road to his legendary work on Broadway, on television, and in film. It is sure to entertain readers of all ages.