Dick Van Dyke is everyone’s favorite man in Hollywood – he sings, he dances, he makes us laugh, and he was a staple in almost all of our childhoods. And now, after some heartbreaking news, the star has said that he is just happy to be alive…
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Dick Van Dyke is a true icon.
Born December 13, 1925, his career has spanned more than seven decades.
He rose to fame on Broadway.
But eventually got his own CBS show, The Dick Van Dyke Show, which ran from 1961 to 1966.
You may also know him from his incredible movie roles.
Van Dyke was the star of classics like Mary Poppins and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.
His accolades speak for themselves.
He’s received five Primetime Emmys, a Tony, and a Grammy Award, and was inducted into the Television Hall of Fame in 1995.
He received the Screen Actors Guild’s highest honor, the SAG Life Achievement Award, in 2013 …
And even has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 7021 Hollywood Boulevard.
Since his early movies, Van Dyke has continued to have a prolific career.
More recently, he’s had roles in Night at the Museum in 2006, and Mary Poppins Returns in 2018.
And in spite of his advancing age, it seems Van Dyke has no intention of slowing down.
In an interview with CBS This Morning, the 96-year-old movie star opened up about the ageing process…
And he believes staying active is absolutely key.
Promising the world he’s “still dancing.” Well, we wouldn’t expect anything less!
He also has an intense fitness regimen.
Which he proudly demonstrated on the show.​
He began by showing off his sit-up prowess.
“I’m 95, and a lot of my friends won’t do these,” he said at the time of the interview.
“So all you old guys out there, listen to me, I’m telling you: You can keep going.”
“I’m still dancing! And singing!”
And he puts his money where his mouth is, doing an intricate routine in Mary Poppins Returns.
Van Dyke claims he was given “three versions and I took the hardest one. I had to prove I could do it.”
He also opened up about his hopes for the future.
“I’m looking forward to 100,” he said.
“George Burns made it, and I’m gonna do it too!”
In the past, Van Dyke had had less of a positive attitude to getting older, however.
2015 NPR interview, the star opened up about “giving up the things that you enjoy doing.”
“I can’t handle the tennis court anymore. I can still run and dance and sing.”
He also offered some more philosophical perspectives.
“You know, I made a habit of asking other people in their old age: of all the things you enjoyed doing when you were younger that you can’t anymore, what do you miss?”
“Some people mention golf or tennis. One woman said, ‘I miss having lunch with the girls.'”
“But the people who said I wish I had made smarter business decisions, I think they’re missing the point.”
“You have to pick what you enjoy doing, what fulfills you, what interests you.”
“And I realize that’s not possible for a lot of people. As Thoreau said, a lot of people are living lives of quiet desperation.”
He continued…
“But almost anyone can find that one immersing hobby or pastime that they love to do.”
Although Van Dyke Claims to be in good health, he took to Twitter to discuss a health problem.
“My head bangs every time I lay down,” he wrote.
“I’ve had every test come back that I’m perfectly healthy. Anybody got any ideas?”
The “strange heartbeat-like sound” reportedly confounded medical professionals, who put the star through tests, but couldn’t figure out the source of the problem.
And now, after sharing some heartbreaking news…
Van Dyke has said that he’s just happy to be alive.
Van Dyke, who was spotted by the Daily Mail last Thursday, had a thick white beard and a huge grin on his face.
As the star was wished a Happy Father’s Day weekend, he said “oh my God, is that this Sunday?” and smiled, waving at people passing by.
Then, as the star was wished a Happy Father’s Day weekend again, he said the sweetest thing…
“Thank you, I’m just glad to still be here,” he expressed, as per the news outlet.
Many people have taken to social media to share their love for the ninety-six-year-old…
“Dick Van Dyke is an American treasure,” one person wrote on Twitter.
Somebody else said that Van Dyke was a “Father figure” to them, too.
People most definitely have a lot of love for the star.
