Hollywood legend Dick Van Dyke is officially 100 years old - and he's still not ready to slow down.
The screen icon, born December 13, 1925, in West Plains, Missouri, celebrated the major milestone surrounded by fans, family, and tributes across the country.
But for Van Dyke, hitting triple digits is just another chapter.
“The funny thing is, it’s not enough ... You want to live more, which I plan to,” he said during an interview with Good Morning America.
The early spark that lit up a Hollywood career
Van Dyke’s journey into showbiz started young, inspired by Laurel and Hardy films he watched at his local cinema. That early fascination soon led him into radio, where his smooth voice and natural charm landed him a gig with CBS.
Before he became a household name, Van Dyke appeared in several now-forgotten TV shows. But everything changed when he starred in the musical Bye Bye Birdie. His performance earned him a Tony Award in 1961 and launched his career into the stratosphere.
Dick Van Dyke has no plans to slow down. Credit: Monica Schipper/Getty Images
From chimney sweeps to TV fame
Audiences of all ages still know him best as the cheerful chimney sweep Bert, dancing and singing alongside Julie Andrews in Mary Poppins.
Though fans still tease his famously dodgy cockney accent, Van Dyke took it in stride. While accepting the Britannia Award for Excellence in Television in 2017, he even joked about it, saying he wanted to apologise “for inflicting on them the most atrocious cockney accent in the history of cinema.”
But Bert was just one part of his decades-spanning career. From 1961 to 1966, The Dick Van Dyke Show turned him into a sitcom superstar. He later charmed a new generation as Dr. Mark Sloan in Diagnosis: Murder, which aired from 1993 to 2001.
Van Dyke was recognised for his contributions to television with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1993 and was inducted into the Television Hall of Fame in 1995.
Dick Van Dyke has turned 100. Credit: Rodin Eckenroth/Getty Images
“I still try to dance” says the birthday legend
Despite being 100, Van Dyke insists he hasn’t lost his spark. Speaking about his trademark dancing, he said: “I’ve got one game leg from, I don’t know what ... I still try to dance.”
And when it comes to playing older characters over the years, he reflected: “I played old men a lot, and I always played them as angry and cantankerous but it’s not really that way. I don’t know any other 100-year-olds, but I can speak for myself.”
Celebrations for his milestone birthday included a fan-led “flash mob” in Malibu, the sunny coastal town where he lives. His legacy is also being celebrated in a new documentary, Starring Dick Van Dyke, and he’s sharing his own secrets to longevity in his book, 100 Rules for Living to 100: An Optimist’s Guide to a Happy Life.
Dick Van Dyke starred in Mary Poppins. Credit: Silver Screen Collection / Getty
Family, love, and staying young
Van Dyke was married to Margie Willett for 36 years before they divorced in 1984. The couple had four children: Barry, Carrie, Christian, and Stacy.
He later shared his life with longtime partner Michelle Triola Marvin until her death in 2009 at the age of 76.
In 2012, he married Arlene Silver, a makeup artist 46 years his junior. The couple has now been married for 13 years. Speaking to Good Morning America, Silver said: “It’s like a privilege and an honour to take care of him and make him happy.”