![\"Dick](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/dick-van-dyke-s.jpg\")
<\/p>\nDick Van Dyke has opened up about facing mortality as his 100th birthday approaches on December 13, revealing he feels “at peace” with the end of life drawing near.<\/p>\n
The legendary actor, comedian, singer, dancer and writer has enjoyed a career spanning more than seven decades, becoming widely recognised for his physical comedy and charm through iconic sitcom and musical film roles.<\/p>\n
Mr Van Dyke starred in the hit sitcom The Dick Van Dyke Show, earning multiple Emmy Awards. <\/p>\n
He also famously played the dual role of Bert and Mr Dawes Sr in the 1964 classic Mary Poppins, later returning for a cameo in the 2018 sequel.<\/p>\n
Dick Van Dyke’s career on screen has spanned over seven decades<\/p>\n
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Mr Van Dyke went on to portray Caractacus Potts in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, before taking on the lead role of Dr Mark Sloan in the long-running medical crime drama Diagnosis: Murder.<\/p>\n
On Broadway, Mr Van Dyke won a Tony Award for his performance in Bye Bye Birdie.<\/p>\n
“The end of my life is so much closer,” the 99-year-old Hollywood legend admitted in his new book, 100 Rules For Living to 100: An Optimist’s Guide to a Happy Life.<\/p>\n
Speaking to People magazine, Mr Van Dyke expressed a remarkable acceptance of death. “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,” he said.<\/p>\n
Mr Van Dyke credits his peaceful outlook to living fully. “I’ve had such a wonderfully full and exciting life. I can’t complain,” he reflected, acknowledging he has reached an age few experience.<\/p>\n
![\"Dick](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/dick-van-dyke.png\")
Dick Van Dyke will turn 100 on December 13<\/p>\n
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As for the secret behind reaching nearly a century, Mr Van Dyke believes it lies in avoiding negative emotions. “I’ve always thought that anger is one thing that eats up a person’s insides \u2013 and hate,” he said.<\/p>\n
“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.”<\/p>\n
Mr Van Dyke describes himself as naturally optimistic, saying he was born with a brighter outlook than most.<\/p>\n
Even approaching a century, he insisted he never wakes up in a bad mood. “I feel really good for 100. Sometimes I have more energy than others \u2013 but I never wake up in a bad mood. I feel like I’m about 13,” he said.<\/p>\n
![\"Dick](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/dick-van-dyke.jpg\")
Dick Van Dyke starred in the 1968 movie Chitty Chitty Bang Bang<\/p>\n
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Mr Van Dyke said his wife Arlene Silver, 54, plays a vital role in maintaining his zest for life. <\/p>\n
“Without question, our ongoing romance is the most important reason I have not withered away into a hermetic grouch,” he wrote in a recent health diary for The Times.<\/p>\n
The couple, who share a 46-year age gap, met backstage at the 2006 Screen Actors Guild Awards where she was working as a makeup artist.<\/p>\n
Their friendship turned into a romance after the death of his long-term partner, Michelle Triola, in 2009.<\/p>\n
Ms Silver helped him through his grief by bringing him food and support, and Van Dyke said he fell in love with her during this time. The pair wed in 2012.<\/p>\n
Mr Van Dyke said Ms Silver makes him feel decades younger. “Arlene is half my age, and she makes me feel somewhere between two-thirds and three-quarters my age, which is still saying a lot,” he explained.<\/p>\n
He credits her with keeping him joyful and present. “She’s responsible for keeping me in the moment. She kept me happy every day of my life, every day. She’s a joy,” he told People magazine.<\/p>\n
The actor’s commitment to physical fitness remains unwavering. Mr Van Dyke visits the gym three times a week, maintaining a routine that would challenge many who are much younger. “I still try to hit the gym three times a week,” he wrote in his book extract for The Times.<\/p>\n
His workout includes circuit training, moving between machines without breaks, beginning with sit-ups before progressing to leg exercises, upper-body work, stretching and yoga. <\/p>\n
![\"Dick](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/dick-arlene-van-dyke.png\")
Dick and Arlene Van Dyke in November 2015<\/p>\n
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He often dances between machines while singing show tunes. “By the end I’m in a sweaty rush, the blood flowing from fingertips to toes, and my spirits are soaring,” he said.<\/p>\n
Mr Van Dyke admitted skipping sessions leaves him feeling stiff, motivating him to maintain the routine despite the challenges of ageing.<\/p>\n
Fans of Mr Van Dyke quickly took to social media to respond to the star’s comments.<\/p>\n
“Dick Van Dyke is such a legend, even more so to make it to such a monumental age milestone!” one fan posted on X, while another said: “God bless him, I hope he has a great birthday.”<\/p>\n
A third fan penned: “Wow! How great does Dick Van Dyke look and sound for someone who was born when Calvin Coolidge was president?”<\/p>\n
“I cannot think of anyone in this world, more wonderful, more beloved, more remarkable, more full of life in all its variety and ability, than Dick Van Dyke,” added another.<\/p>\n
Mr Van Dyke revealed he finds comfort in the lasting impact of his work, particularly the songs from Mary Poppins which continue to delight new generations. <\/p>\n
“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,” he reflected.<\/p>\n
Yet reaching such an advanced age brings deep loneliness. “Every single one of my dearest lifelong friends is gone, which feels just as lonely as it sounds,” he tsaid.<\/p>\n
His wife acknowledged this harsh reality, saying: “He’s outlived everybody. That’s the curse of living to almost 100.”<\/p>\n
Despite these losses, Mr Van Dyke remains focused on his musical legacy rather than how he will personally be remembered.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Dick Van Dyke has opened up about facing mortality as his 100th birthday approaches on December 13, revealing…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":595423,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3940],"tags":[4080,4781,823,77,382,16,15],"class_list":{"0":"post-595422","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-celebrities","8":"tag-celebrities","9":"tag-celebrity","10":"tag-disney","11":"tag-entertainment","12":"tag-tv","13":"tag-uk","14":"tag-united-kingdom"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/115617127892991753","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/595422","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=595422"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/595422\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/595423"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=595422"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=595422"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=595422"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}