Dick Van Dyke, 96, has opened up about the 46-year age gap between him and his wife Arlene Silver, 50.
The pair tied the knot in February 2012, having met some five years earlier at the 2007 Screen Actors Guild Awards. Van Dyke was 81 at the time and Silver was a 35-year-old makeup artist who had been working at the event.
In a new interview with Closer magazine, the Mary Poppins star revealed: "I thought there would be an outcry about a gold digger marrying an old man, but no one ever took that attitude."
Silver also spoke with the magazine, reflecting on the moment she first noticed the legendary performer.
Van Dyke attended the 2007 Screen Actors Guild Awards to present his Mary Poppins co-star Julie Andrews with a lifetime achievement award. He began talking to Silver as she powdered his nose - and the rest, as they say, is history.
Silver recalled his first words to her: "He said, ‘Hi, I’m Dick.’ The first thing I asked him was, ‘Weren’t you in Mary Poppins?’ We got along immediately as friends, so it didn’t feel like he was so much older than me."
Van Dyke was first married to Margie Willett from 1948 until 1984, and he was romantically involved with Michelle Triola Marvin for more than 30 years until she died in 2009.
Speaking about his wife's zest for life, he said: "We share an attitude. She can go with the flow. She loves to sing and dance, which we do almost every day. She’s just delightful."
Echoing her husband's sentiments, Silver referred to the acting veteran as the "most perfect human being".
She said: "I’ve never met anyone so happy, so genuine, so amazing. He’s just like a happy pill."
Last month, Van Dyke appeared in a music video alongside Silver where they danced and performed a duet to the tune of the song 'Everybody Loves a Lover'.
The couple celebrated their 10th wedding anniversary last month.
Van Dyke, a four-time Emmy winner, is known for his roles in classic movies such as Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Mary Poppins, and The Dick Van Dyke Show.
