Dick Van Dyke continues to be the showman we all know and love as he is set to make his first appearance in a soap opera after being confirmed for a role in Days Of Our Lives.
The 97-year-old Mary Poppins actor continues to defy age as he remains an ever-present figure in the world of showbiz, and he has no plans of slowing down just yet.
Van Dyke has appeared in movies, TV, and on stage, but he has never stepped foot into the world of soap operas - but that is all about to change.
Days Of Our Lives is an NBC serial that now airs on the streaming service Peacock, and fans of the show can expect to see Van Dyke appear soon, as he has been cast as a man with amnesia.
Talking about how he came to be cast in the role, the 97-year-old told Access Hollywood: "Drake [Hogestyn] and I went to the same gym together."
Drake Hogestyn plays John Black in the show and will appear opposite his gym buddy in the upcoming episode.
Van Dyke continued: "I used to kid him, 'say, don’t you ever have any parts for old people? Come on, give me a part!' And he took me seriously. He got me a part.
"I have played old men before, but comedy old men. First time I ever just played my 97-year-old self."
The actor opened up about how he isn't an avid watcher of the show, but he watched an episode to get an idea of the format and the other actors.
"That’s about all the homework I could do was watch one and see how they did it," Van Dyke confessed. "The other thing, you have to hold [a moment] because there’s this thing of music and we’ve said something exciting."
Days Of Our Lives has won more than 50 Emmy awards and in 2021 it was renewed until season 58... which gives some idea of the longevity of the show.
Just in case anyone doubts Van Dyke's ability to continue performing at the level that he used to - his recent performance on The Masked Singer should put them to bed.
Taking on Frank Sinatra's hit song 'When You’re Smiling', the 97-year-old wowed audiences as he performed it flawlessly, and even bought judge Nicole Scherzinger to tears.
After his stint on the show, Van Dyke spoke to Entertainment Weekly, telling the outlet while he had a great time, it may have been one of the strangest things he has done in his career.
"I was so positive that nobody would ever guess it was me, that they would have somebody 97 years old on there," he explained. "I would say it’s the weirdest thing I’ve ever done. But they didn’t put a mask on me. They made a great big, like, Pumpkinhead thing that I had to do.
"It was a weird experience. I had two little peepholes I can see the audience with. It’s a good thing I’m not claustrophobic," he added.
We can't wait to see Van Dyke back on our screens!
