Richard Wayne Van Dyke (born December 13, 1925) is an American actor, entertainer and comedian.
His work spans screen and stage, and
his awards include six
Emmy Awards
The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the year, each with their own set of rules and award categor ...
, a
Grammy Award
The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious ...
and a
Tony Award
The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ce ...
. He was inducted into the
Television Hall of Fame in 1995 and the
Hollywood Walk of Fame
The Hollywood Walk of Fame is a landmark which consists of 2,813 five-pointed terrazzo-and-brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along 15 blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in the Hollywood, Los Angeles, Hollywood dist ...
in 1993, and has been honored with the
Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award in 2013, the
Kennedy Center Honors
The Kennedy Center Honors are annual honors given to those in the performing arts for their lifetime of contributions to Culture of the United States, American culture. They have been presented annually since 1978, culminating each December in ...
in 2020, and was recognized as a
Disney Legend in 1998.
Van Dyke began his career as an entertainer on radio, television and in nightclubs. He made his
Broadway debut in the musical
revue ''The Girls Against the Boys'' (1959). The following year he starred as Albert F. Peterson in the original production of ''
Bye Bye Birdie'' (1960), a role which earned him the
Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Musical. He returned to Broadway playing Harold Hill in a revival of ''
The Music Man'' (1980).
On television, Van Dyke became a household name in the United States and Canada portraying Rob Petrie in the
CBS sitcom ''
The Dick Van Dyke Show'' (1961–1966), which also earned him three
Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series. He guest-starred on shows such as ''
Columbo'' (1974) and ''
The Carol Burnett Show'' (1977), and starred in ''
The New Dick Van Dyke Show'' (1971–1974), ''
Diagnosis: Murder'' (1993–2001), and ''
Murder 101'' (2006–2008).
Van Dyke is also known for his role as Bert, the
cockney
Cockney is a dialect of the English language, mainly spoken in London and its environs, particularly by Londoners with working-class and lower middle class roots. The term ''Cockney'' is also used as a demonym for a person from the East End, ...
chimney sweep in the
Disney
The Walt Disney Company, commonly referred to as simply Disney, is an American multinational mass media and entertainment industry, entertainment conglomerate (company), conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios (Burbank), Walt Di ...
movie musical ''
Mary Poppins Mary Poppins may refer to:
* Mary Poppins (character), a nanny with magical powers
* Mary Poppins (franchise), based on the fictional nanny
** Mary Poppins (book series), ''Mary Poppins'' (book series), the original 1934–1988 children's fanta ...
'' (1964), for which he was nominated for the
Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy. He starred in the movie musicals ''
Bye Bye Birdie'' (1963) and ''
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
''Chitty Chitty Bang Bang'' is a 1968 children's film, children's Musical film, musical fantasy film directed by Ken Hughes and produced by Albert R. Broccoli. It stars Dick Van Dyke, Sally Ann Howes, Lionel Jeffries, Gert Fröbe, Anna Quayle, ...
'' (1968), as well as the comedy-drama ''
The Comic
''The Comic'' is a 1969 American Pathécolor comedy-drama film co-written, co-produced, and directed by Carl Reiner. It stars Dick Van Dyke as Billy Bright (which was the original title of the film), Michele Lee as Bright's love interest, and R ...
'' (1969). In his later years, Van Dyke has taken supporting roles in films such as ''
Dick Tracy'' (1990), ''
Curious George
Curious George is a fictional monkey who is the title character of a series of popular children's picture books written and illustrated by Margret and H. A. Rey. Various media, including films and TV shows, have been based upon the original ...
'' (2006), ''
Night at the Museum'' (2006),
its 2014 sequel, and ''
Mary Poppins Returns'' (2018).
Early life and education
Richard Wayne Van Dyke was born on December 13, 1925, in
West Plains, Missouri
West Plains is a List of cities in Missouri, city in and the County seat#United States, county seat of Howell County, Missouri, Howell County, Missouri, United States. The population was 12,184 at the 2020 census.
History
The history of West Pl ...
,
to Hazel Victoria (née McCord), a stenographer, and Loren Wayne "Cookie" Van Dyke, a salesman. He grew up in
Danville, Illinois. He is the older brother of actor
Jerry Van Dyke, who appeared as his brother in ''The Dick Van Dyke Show''.
Van Dyke is a
Dutch surname, although he also has English, Irish, and
Scottish ancestry.
His family line traces back to ''
Mayflower'' passenger
John Alden.
Van Dyke attended
Danville High School in 1944, where he participated in the ''a cappella'' choir and dramatic club.
His involvement in the drama program convinced him to become a professional entertainer, although he also considered a career in the ministry.
Van Dyke left high school during his senior year to join the
United States Army Air Forces
The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF or AAF) was the major land-based aerial warfare service component of the United States Army and ''de facto'' aerial warfare service branch of the United States during and immediately after World War II ...
for pilot training during
World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
.
Denied enlistment several times for being underweight, he was eventually accepted for service as a radio announcer before transferring to the
Special Services and entertaining troops in the
continental United States. He was discharged in 1946. Van Dyke received his high school diploma in 2004.
Career
1940–1959: Early work and Broadway debut

During the late 1940s, Van Dyke was a
radio DJ on
WDAN in
Danville, Illinois. In 1947, Van Dyke was persuaded by
pantomime performer Phil Erickson to form a comedy duo called "Eric and Van—the Merry Mutes." The team toured the
West Coast nightclub circuit, performing a mime act and
lip sync
Lip sync or lip synch (pronounced , like the word ''sink'', despite the Hard and soft C, spelling of the participial forms ''synced'' and ''syncing''), short for lip synchronization, is a technical term for matching a Speech, speaking or singin ...
hing to
78 rpm records. They moved to
Atlanta
Atlanta ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Georgia (U.S. state), most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. It is the county seat, seat of Fulton County, Georg ...
, Georgia, in the early 1950s and performed on a local television show featuring original skits and music called "The Merry Mutes".
Van Dyke's start in television was with
WDSU-TV
WDSU (channel 6) is a television station in New Orleans, Louisiana, United States, affiliated with NBC and owned by Hearst Television. The station's studios are located on Howard Avenue in the city's New Orleans Central Business District, Centra ...
New Orleans
New Orleans (commonly known as NOLA or The Big Easy among other nicknames) is a Consolidated city-county, consolidated city-parish located along the Mississippi River in the U.S. state of Louisiana. With a population of 383,997 at the 2020 ...
Channel 6 (
NBC), first as a single comedian and later as
emcee of a comedy program. Van Dyke's first network TV appearance was with
Dennis James on James' ''
Chance of a Lifetime'' in 1954. He later appeared in two episodes of ''
The Phil Silvers Show'' during its 1957–58 season. He also appeared early in his career on
ABC's ''The Pat Boone Chevy Showroom'' and
NBC's ''The Polly Bergen Show''. During this time a friend from the Army was working as an executive for CBS television and recommended Van Dyke to that network. Out of this came a seven-year contract with the network.
During an interview on
NPR's ''
Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!'' program, Van Dyke said he was the anchorman for the
CBS Morning Show during this period with
Walter Cronkite as his newsman.
[
In November 1959, Van Dyke made his Broadway debut in ''The Girls Against the Boys'' which ran at the Alvin Theatre. The production was a revue in two acts and featured performances from Van Dyke, Shelley Berman, Bert Lahr, Nancy Walker among many others. The production ran on Broadway for 16 performances from November 2 to 14, 1959.
]
1960–1968: Career stardom
''Bye Bye Birdie'' (1960–1963)
He played the lead role of Albert Peterson in ''Bye Bye Birdie'', which ran from April 14, 1960, to October 7, 1961. Van Dyke starred alongside Chita Rivera, Barbara Doherty, and Paul Lynde
Paul Edward Lynde (; June 13, 1926January 10, 1982) was an American comedian, actor, and game-show panelist. A character actor with a distinctively campy and snarky persona that often poked fun at his closeted homosexuality, Lynde was well know ...
. The production received mixed reviews from critics, such as from Brooks Atkinson
Justin Brooks Atkinson (November 28, 1894 – January 14, 1984) was an American theater critic. He worked for ''The New York Times'' from 1922 to 1960. In his obituary, the ''Times'' called him "the theater's most influential reviewer of his ...
of ''The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
'', who praised Van Dyke as "likable" but opined, "As a production it's neither fish fowl nor good musical comedy. It needs work." Despite this, the musical won four Tony awards, including for Van Dyke, who won the Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Musical in 1961.
Van Dyke began his film career by playing the role of Albert J. Peterson in the film version of '' Bye Bye Birdie'' (1963). Despite his unhappiness with the adaptation—its focus differed from the stage version in that the story now centered on a previously supporting character—the film was a success. The film starred Ann-Margret, Janet Leigh, and Maureen Stapleton with Van Dyke and Lynde reprising their roles. '' Variety'' wrote of Van Dyke's performance, "Van Dyke displays a showbiz knowhow far more extensive than his television outings communicate".
''The Dick Van Dyke Show'' (1961–1966)
From 1961 to 1966, Van Dyke starred in the CBS sitcom ''The Dick Van Dyke Show'', in which he portrayed a comedy writer named Rob Petrie. Carl Reiner conceived the program and cast himself as the lead in the pilot, but CBS insisted on recasting, and Reiner chose Van Dyke to replace him in the role. Complementing Van Dyke was a veteran cast of comic actors including Rose Marie, Morey Amsterdam, Jerry Paris, Ann Morgan Guilbert, Richard Deacon, and Carl Reiner
Carl Reiner (March 20, 1922 – June 29, 2020) was an American actor, author, comedian, director and screenwriter whose career spanned seven decades. He was the List of awards and nominations received by Carl Reiner, recipient of many awards and ...
(as Alan Brady), as well as 24-year-old Mary Tyler Moore, who played Rob's wife Laura Petrie. Van Dyke won three Emmy Awards as Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series, and the series received four Emmy Awards as Outstanding Comedy Series.
''The Dick Van Dyke Show'' received positive reviews from its start, with ''The Hollywood Reporter
''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Cinema of the United States, Hollywood film industry, film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade pap ...
'' praising Van Dyke's comedic performance writing, "Sure to catch on as a new personality is Dick Van Dyke who, though he can play it straight when need be, proves a master of the double take, juicing up to solid laughs what would possibly be just amusing lines with his physical reactions. Yet, he doesn't over-mug. In this one, his "drunk husband" bit was a masterpiece of timing and ingenuity."
Ken Tucker of ''Entertainment Weekly
''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American online magazine, digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, ...
'' reviewed the series following its Blu-ray
Blu-ray (Blu-ray Disc or BD) is a digital optical disc data storage format designed to supersede the DVD format. It was invented and developed in 2005 and released worldwide on June 20, 2006, capable of storing several hours of high-defin ...
boxset release in 2012 writing, "The Dick Van Dyke Show certainly wasn't the first sitcom featuring a lead character who presided over a TV-show-within-the-TV-show — Jack Benny's '' The Jack Benny Program'', among others, had beaten Van Dyke to that. But this was the first sitcom to meld the workplace sitcom with the domestic sitcom so seamlessly. The episodes themselves move with the same smoothness and grace that Van Dyke and Moore did, whether the Petries were clowning, dancing, or romancing".
The series had a reunion in 2004 and was aired on CBS as ''The Dick Van Dyke Show Revisited'' with Ray Romano serving as host and Van Dyke, Mary Tyler Moore, Rose Marie, Jerry Van Dyke and Carl Reiner
Carl Reiner (March 20, 1922 – June 29, 2020) was an American actor, author, comedian, director and screenwriter whose career spanned seven decades. He was the List of awards and nominations received by Carl Reiner, recipient of many awards and ...
returning. Morey Amsterdam and Richard Deacon appeared in archival footage, both having died.
''Mary Poppins'' (1964)
In 1964, Van Dyke was cast in two roles in Walt Disney
Walter Elias Disney ( ; December 5, 1901December 15, 1966) was an American animator, film producer, voice actor, and entrepreneur. A pioneer of the Golden age of American animation, American animation industry, he introduced several develop ...
's ''Mary Poppins'': as Bert, a man who goes through multiple odd jobs, ultimately and memorably becoming a chimney sweep; and as bank chairman Mr. Dawes Senior. For his scenes as the chairman, he was heavily costumed to look much older and was credited in that role as "Navckid Keyd". At the end of the credits, the letters unscramble into "Dick Van Dyke", which was repeated in ''Mary Poppins Returns''. Van Dyke's attempt at a cockney
Cockney is a dialect of the English language, mainly spoken in London and its environs, particularly by Londoners with working-class and lower middle class roots. The term ''Cockney'' is also used as a demonym for a person from the East End, ...
accent has been lambasted as one of the worst accents in film history, cited by actors since as an example of how not to sound. In a 2003 poll by ''Empire
An empire is a political unit made up of several territories, military outpost (military), outposts, and peoples, "usually created by conquest, and divided between a hegemony, dominant center and subordinate peripheries". The center of the ...
'' magazine of the worst-ever accents in film, he came in second (to Sean Connery
Sir Thomas Sean Connery (25 August 1930 – 31 October 2020) was a Scottish actor. He was the first actor to Portrayal of James Bond in film, portray the fictional British secret agent James Bond (literary character), James Bond in motion pic ...
in '' The Untouchables'', despite Connery winning an Academy Award
The Academy Awards, commonly known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit in film. They are presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) in the United States in recognition of excellence ...
for that performance).
According to Van Dyke, his accent coach—veteran actor J. Pat O'Malley—was Irish and "didn't do an accent any better than I did", and no one alerted him to how bad it was during the production. Still, ''Mary Poppins'' was successful on release and its appeal has endured. " Chim Chim Cher-ee", one of the songs that Van Dyke performed in ''Mary Poppins'', won the Academy Award for Best Original Song
The Academy Award for Best Original Song is one of the awards given annually to people working in the Film industry, motion picture industry by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). It is presented to the ''songwriters'' who h ...
for the Sherman Brothers, the film's songwriting duo.
Van Dyke received a Grammy Award in 1964, along with Julie Andrews, for his performance on the soundtrack to ''Mary Poppins''.
Many of the comedy films Van Dyke starred in throughout the 1960s were relatively unsuccessful at the box office, including '' What a Way to Go!'' with Shirley MacLaine, '' Lt. Robin Crusoe, U.S.N.'', '' Fitzwilly'', '' The Art of Love'' with James Garner and Elke Sommer, '' Some Kind of a Nut'', '' Never a Dull Moment'' with Edward G. Robinson, and '' Divorce American Style'' with Debbie Reynolds
Mary Frances "Debbie" Reynolds (April 1, 1932 – December 28, 2016) was an American actress, singer and entrepreneur. Her acting career spanned almost 70 years. Reynolds performed on stage and television and in films into her 80s.
She was nom ...
and Jean Simmons. But he also starred as Caractacus Potts (with his native accent, at his own insistence, despite the English setting) in the successful musical version of Ian Fleming
Ian Lancaster Fleming (28 May 1908 – 12 August 1964) was a British writer, best known for his postwar ''James Bond'' series of spy novels. Fleming came from a wealthy family connected to the merchant bank Robert Fleming & Co., and his ...
's ''Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
''Chitty Chitty Bang Bang'' is a 1968 children's film, children's Musical film, musical fantasy film directed by Ken Hughes and produced by Albert R. Broccoli. It stars Dick Van Dyke, Sally Ann Howes, Lionel Jeffries, Gert Fröbe, Anna Quayle, ...
'' (1968), which co-starred Sally Ann Howes and featured the same songwriters (the Sherman Brothers) and choreographers ( Marc Breaux and Dee Dee Wood) as ''Mary Poppins''.
1968–1980: Established star
In 1968, it was reported that Albert R. Broccoli had offered Van Dyke the chance to replace Sean Connery
Sir Thomas Sean Connery (25 August 1930 – 31 October 2020) was a Scottish actor. He was the first actor to Portrayal of James Bond in film, portray the fictional British secret agent James Bond (literary character), James Bond in motion pic ...
as James Bond
The ''James Bond'' franchise focuses on James Bond (literary character), the titular character, a fictional Secret Intelligence Service, British Secret Service agent created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels ...
. Van Dyke declined the offer, asking Broccoli: "Have you heard my British accent?". In 1969, Van Dyke appeared in the comedy-drama ''The Comic
''The Comic'' is a 1969 American Pathécolor comedy-drama film co-written, co-produced, and directed by Carl Reiner. It stars Dick Van Dyke as Billy Bright (which was the original title of the film), Michele Lee as Bright's love interest, and R ...
'', written and directed by Carl Reiner. Van Dyke portrayed a self-destructive silent film
A silent film is a film without synchronized recorded sound (or more generally, no audible dialogue). Though silent films convey narrative and emotion visually, various plot elements (such as a setting or era) or key lines of dialogue may, w ...
era comedian who struggles with alcoholism, depression, and his own rampant ego. Reiner wrote the film especially for Van Dyke, who often spoke of his admiration for silent film era comedians such as Charlie Chaplin
Sir Charles Spencer Chaplin (16 April 188925 December 1977) was an English comic actor, filmmaker, and composer who rose to fame in the era of silent film. He became a worldwide icon through his screen persona, the Tramp, and is considered o ...
and his hero Stan Laurel
Stan Laurel ( ; born Arthur Stanley Jefferson; 16 June 1890 – 23 February 1965) was an English comic actor, director and writer who was in the comedy double act, duo Laurel and Hardy. He appeared with his comedy partner Oliver Hardy in 107 sh ...
.
Also in 1969, Van Dyke played Rev. Clayton Brooks, a small-town minister who leads his Iowa town to quit smoking for 30 days to win $25 million (equal to $ today) from a tobacco company. The film, '' Cold Turkey'', was not released until 1971. In 1970, he published ''Faith, Hope and Hilarity: A Child's Eye View of Religion'' a book of humorous anecdotes based largely on his experiences as a Sunday School
]
A Sunday school, sometimes known as a Sabbath school, is an educational institution, usually Christianity, Christian in character and intended for children or neophytes.
Sunday school classes usually precede a Sunday church service and are u ...
teacher. Van Dyke was principal in "KXIV Inc." and owned 1400 AM KSUN, KXIV in Phoenix from 1965 to 1982.
From 1971 to 1974, Van Dyke starred in an unrelated sitcom called '' The New Dick Van Dyke Show'' in which he portrayed a local television talk show host. Although the series was developed by Carl Reiner and starred Hope Lange as his wife, and he received a Golden Globe nomination for his performance, the show was less successful than its predecessor, and Van Dyke pulled the plug on the show after just three seasons.
In 1973, Van Dyke voiced his animated likeness for the October 27, 1973, installment of Hanna-Barbera
Hanna-Barbera Cartoons, Inc. ( ; formerly known as H-B Enterprises, Hanna-Barbera Productions, Inc. and H-B Production Co.), simply and commonly known as Hanna-Barbera, was an American animation studio and production company, which was acti ...
's '' The New Scooby-Doo Movies'', "Scooby-Doo Meets Dick Van Dyke", the series' final first-run episode. In 1974, he received an Emmy Award nomination for his role as an alcoholic businessman in the television movie '' The Morning After'' (1974). Van Dyke revealed after its release that he had recently overcome a real-life drinking problem; he admitted he had been an alcoholic for 25 years. That same year he guest-starred as a murderous photographer on an episode of '' Columbo'', '' Negative Reaction''. Van Dyke returned to comedy in 1976 with the sketch comedy
Sketch comedy comprises a series of short, amusing scenes or vignettes, called "sketches" or, "skits", commonly between one and ten minutes long, performed by a group of comic actors or comedians. While the form developed and became popular in ...
show '' Van Dyke and Company,'' on which Andy Kaufman made his prime time debut. Despite being canceled after three months, the show won an Emmy Award
The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the year, each with their own set of rules and award categor ...
for Outstanding Comedy-Variety Series. After a few guest appearances on the long-running comedy-variety series '' The Carol Burnett Show'', Van Dyke became a regular on the show, in the fall of 1977. However, he appeared in only half of the episodes of the final season.
In 1980, Van Dyke appeared in the title role in a United States tour and Broadway revival of '' The Music Man''.
1981–2001: ''Diagnosis Murder''
For the next decade he appeared mostly in TV movies, including a made-for-cable remake of ''The Country Girl'' (1982) with Faye Dunaway
Dorothy Faye Dunaway (born January 14, 1941) is an American actress. She is the recipient of List of awards and nominations received by Faye Dunaway, many accolades, including an Academy Award, a Primetime Emmy Award, three Golden Globe Awards, ...
. One atypical role was as a murdering judge on the second episode of the TV series '' Matlock'' in 1986 starring Andy Griffith. In 1987, he guest-starred in an episode of '' Airwolf'', with his son Barry Van Dyke, who was the lead star of the show's fourth and final season on USA Network
USA Network (or simply USA) is an American basic cable television channel owned by the NBCUniversal Media Group division of Comcast's NBCUniversal. It was launched in 1977 as Madison Square Garden Sports Network, one of the first national sports ...
. In 1989, he guest-starred on the NBC comedy series ''The Golden Girls
''The Golden Girls'' is an American sitcom created by Susan Harris that aired on NBC from September 14, 1985, to May 9, 1992, with a total of 180 half-hour episodes, spanning seven seasons. The show's ensemble cast stars Beatrice Arthur, Betty ...
'' portraying a lover of Beatrice Arthur's character. This role earned him his first Emmy Award nomination since 1977.
On ''Larry King Live
''Larry King Live'' is an American television talk show broadcast by CNN from June 3, 1985 to December 16, 2010. Hosted by Larry King, it was the network's most watched and longest-running program, with over one million viewers nightly.
Ma ...
'', Van Dyke mentioned that he turned down the lead role in ''The Omen'' which was played by Gregory Peck. He also mentioned that his dream role would have been the Scarecrow in ''The Wizard of Oz''. Twenty-one years later in 1990, Van Dyke, whose usual role had been the amiable hero, took a small but villainous turn as crooked DA Fletcher in Warren Beatty
Henry Warren Beatty (né Beaty; born March 30, 1937) is an American actor and filmmaker. His career has spanned over six decades, and he has received an Academy Award and three Golden Globe Awards. He also received the Irving G. Thalberg Memor ...
's film ''Dick Tracy''.
Van Dyke's film work affected his TV career: the reviews he received for his role as D.A. Fletcher in '' Dick Tracy'' led him to star as the character Dr. Mark Sloan first in an episode of '' Jake and the Fatman'', then in a series of TV movies on CBS that became the foundation for his popular television drama '' Diagnosis: Murder.'' The series ran from 1993 to 2001 with son Barry Van Dyke co-starring in the role of Dr. Sloan's son Lieutenant Detective Steve Sloan. Also starring on the same show was daytime soap actress Victoria Rowell as Dr. Sloan's pathologist/medical partner, Dr. Amanda Bentley, and Charlie Schlatter in the role of Dr. Sloan's student, Dr. Jesse Travis.
Van Dyke became a computer animation
Computer animation is the process used for digitally generating Film, moving images. The more general term computer-generated imagery (CGI) encompasses both still images and moving images, while computer animation refers to moving images. Virtu ...
enthusiast after purchasing an Amiga
Amiga is a family of personal computers produced by Commodore International, Commodore from 1985 until the company's bankruptcy in 1994, with production by others afterward. The original model is one of a number of mid-1980s computers with 16-b ...
in 1991. He is credited with the creation of 3D-rendered effects used on ''Diagnosis: Murder'' and ''The Dick Van Dyke Show Revisited''. Van Dyke has displayed his computer-generated imagery
Computer-generated imagery (CGI) is a specific-technology or application of computer graphics for creating or improving images in Digital art, art, Publishing, printed media, Training simulation, simulators, videos and video games. These images ...
work at SIGGRAPH
SIGGRAPH (Special Interest Group on Computer Graphics and Interactive Techniques) is an annual conference centered around computer graphics organized by ACM, starting in 1974 in Boulder, CO. The main conference has always been held in North ...
, and continues to work with LightWave 3D.
As an a cappella
Music performed a cappella ( , , ; ), less commonly spelled acapella in English, is music performed by a singer or a singing group without instrumental accompaniment. The term ''a cappella'' was originally intended to differentiate between Rena ...
enthusiast, Van Dyke has sung in a group called " Dick Van Dyke and The Vantastix" since September 2000. The quartet has performed several times in Los Angeles as well as on ''Larry King Live
''Larry King Live'' is an American television talk show broadcast by CNN from June 3, 1985 to December 16, 2010. Hosted by Larry King, it was the network's most watched and longest-running program, with over one million viewers nightly.
Ma ...
'', The First Annual TV Land Awards, and sang the national anthem
A national anthem is a patriotic musical composition symbolizing and evoking eulogies of the history and traditions of a country or nation. The majority of national anthems are marches or hymns in style. American, Central Asian, and European ...
at three Los Angeles Lakers games including a nationally televised NBA Finals
The NBA Finals is the annual championship series of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The Eastern Conference (NBA), Eastern and Western Conference (NBA), Western Conference champions play a best-of-seven series to determine the league ...
performance on NBC. Van Dyke was made an honorary member of the Barbershop Harmony Society in 1999.
2002–present: Later career and television resurgence
Van Dyke continued to find television work after ''Diagnosis: Murder'', including a dramatically and critically successful performance of '' The Gin Game'', produced for television in 2003 that reunited him with Mary Tyler Moore. In 2003, he portrayed Doctor Doug Townshend on '' Scrubs''. A 2004 special of ''The Dick Van Dyke Show'' titled ''The Dick Van Dyke Show Revisited'' was heavily promoted as the first new episode of the classic series to be shown in 38 years. Van Dyke and his surviving cast members recreated their roles; although nominated for a Primetime Emmy, the program was roundly panned by critics.
In 2006 he guest-starred as college professor Dr. Jonathan Maxwell for a series of '' Murder 101'' mystery films on the Hallmark Channel. Van Dyke returned to motion pictures in 2006 with ''Curious George
Curious George is a fictional monkey who is the title character of a series of popular children's picture books written and illustrated by Margret and H. A. Rey. Various media, including films and TV shows, have been based upon the original ...
'' as Mr. Bloomsberry and villain Cecil Fredericks in the Ben Stiller film '' Night at the Museum''. He reprised the role in a cameo for the sequel, '' Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian'' (2009), but it was cut from the film. It can be found in the special features on the DVD release. He also played the character again in the third film, '' Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb'' (2014).
In 2010, Van Dyke appeared on a children's album titled ''Rhythm Train,'' with Red Hot Chili Peppers
The Red Hot Chili Peppers are an American rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1982, consisting of Anthony Kiedis (vocals), Flea (musician), Flea (bass), John Frusciante (guitar), and Chad Smith (drums). Their music incorporates elements of a ...
drummer Chad Smith and singer Leslie Bixler. Van Dyke raps on one of the album's tracks. In 2017, Van Dyke released his first solo album since 1963's ''Songs I Like''. The album, ''Step (Back) In Time'', was produced by Bill Bixler (who also played sax), with arrangements by Dave Enos (who also played bass) and features noted musicians John Ferraro (drums), Tony Guerrero (trumpet & vocal duet), Mark LeBrun (piano), Charley Pollard (trombone) and Leslie Bixler (vocals). ''Step (Back) In Time'' was released by BixMix Records and showcases Van Dyke in a jazz and big band setting on classic songs from the 1920s, 1930s and 1940s. Van Dyke recorded a duet single for Christmas 2017 with actress Jane Lynch. The song, "We're Going Caroling", was written and produced by Tony Guerrero for Lynch's KitschTone Records label as a digital-only release.
In 2018, Van Dyke portrayed Mr. Dawes Jr. in '' Mary Poppins Returns''. He had previously portrayed both Bert and Mr. Dawes Sr. (Mr. Dawes, Jr.'s late father), in the original film. For the Marvel Cinematic Universe
The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is an American media franchise and shared universe centered on List of Marvel Cinematic Universe films, a series of superhero films produced by Marvel Studios. The films are based on characters that appe ...
television series, '' WandaVision'', Van Dyke was consulted by the producers on how to emulate ''The Dick Van Dyke Show''.
In 2023, Van Dyke competed in season nine of '' The Masked Singer'' as "Gnome" and was the first to be eliminated. The episode had been promoted as "the most legendary, decorated and beloved unmasking in history". After Van Dyke revealed his identity, he received a lengthy standing ovation from the audience and judges. Before departing the stage, Van Dyke sang as an encore of his part in the song " Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious" from ''Mary Poppins'', in which he starred. At age 97, Van Dyke became the oldest person ever to compete on the series. In April of the same year, it was announced Van Dyke would guest-appear on '' Days of Our Lives'' for several episodes. On December 21, 2023, he was honored with a CBS special, ''Dick Van Dyke: 98 Years of Magic'', celebrating his 98th birthday.
In December 2024, Van Dyke starred in the music video for the Coldplay
Coldplay are a British Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1997. They consist of vocalist and pianist Chris Martin, guitarist Jonny Buckland, bassist Guy Berryman, drummer and percussionist Will Champion, and manager Phil Harvey (band m ...
song " All My Love". He produced the video with his wife, actress Arlene Silver.
Influences
Van Dyke has often cited Stan Laurel
Stan Laurel ( ; born Arthur Stanley Jefferson; 16 June 1890 – 23 February 1965) was an English comic actor, director and writer who was in the comedy double act, duo Laurel and Hardy. He appeared with his comedy partner Oliver Hardy in 107 sh ...
, Buster Keaton
Joseph Frank "Buster" Keaton (October 4, 1895 – February 1, 1966) was an American actor, comedian and filmmaker. He is best known for his silent films during the 1920s, in which he performed physical comedy and inventive stunts. He frequently ...
, and Carl Reiner as his comedy influences and idols. Van Dyke stated on '' Conan'' that he called Laurel and admitted to him that he had stolen from him over the years, and Laurel replied, "Yes, I know". Entertainers who have cited Van Dyke as an influence include Steve Martin, Chevy Chase
Cornelius Crane "Chevy" Chase (; born October 8, 1943) is an American comedian, actor, and writer. He became the breakout cast member in the first season of ''Saturday Night Live'' (1975–1976), where his recurring ''Weekend Update'' segment b ...
, Conan O'Brien, Jim Carrey, and Bryan Cranston.
Personal life
On February 12, 1948, while appearing at the Chapman Park Hotel on Wilshire Boulevard
Wilshire Boulevard ( wɪɫ.ʃɚ is a prominent boulevard in the Los Angeles area of Southern California, extending from Ocean Avenue (Santa Monica), Ocean Avenue in the city of Santa Monica, California, Santa Monica east to Grand Avenue (Lo ...
in Los Angeles, Van Dyke and the former Margerie Willett were married on the radio show ''Bride and Groom''. They had four children: Christian, Barry, Stacy and Carrie Beth. They divorced in 1984 after a long separation. In 1976, Van Dyke began his relationship with longtime companion Michelle Triola Marvin. They lived together for more than 30 years, until her death in 2009. Their affair, which left Van Dyke "writhing in guilt," contributed to the breakup of Van Dyke and Willett's marriage. On February 29, 2012, at the age of 86, Van Dyke married make-up artist Arlene Silver, 46 years his junior. They had met six years earlier at the SAG awards.
Van Dyke included his children and grandchildren in his TV shows. Son Barry Van Dyke, grandsons Shane Van Dyke and Carey Van Dyke, and other Van Dyke grandchildren and relatives appeared in episodes of '' Diagnosis: Murder''. Van Dyke has seven grandchildren. His son Chris was district attorney
In the United States, a district attorney (DA), county attorney, county prosecutor, state attorney, state's attorney, prosecuting attorney, commonwealth's attorney, or solicitor is the chief prosecutor or chief law enforcement officer represen ...
for Marion County, Oregon, in the 1980s and prosecuted the I-5 Killer, Randall Woodfield. In 1987, Van Dyke's granddaughter, Jessica Van Dyke, died from Reye syndrome, which led him to do a series of public service announcements to raise public awareness of the danger of aspirin to children.
Throughout his acting career Van Dyke continued to teach Sunday school in the Presbyterian Church where he was an elder, and he continued to read such theologians as Martin Buber, Paul Tillich, and Dietrich Bonhoeffer.[ On August 19, 2013, it was reported that the 87-year-old Van Dyke was rescued from his Jaguar by a passerby after the car had caught fire on the US 101 freeway in Calabasas, Los Angeles County. He was not injured in the fire, although the car burned down to its frame.
Van Dyke endorsed ]Bernie Sanders
Bernard Sanders (born September8, 1941) is an American politician and activist who is the Seniority in the United States Senate, senior United States Senate, United States senator from the state of Vermont. He is the longest-serving independ ...
in the 2016 Democratic Party presidential primaries. In July 2016, while campaigning for Sanders, Van Dyke said of Donald Trump
Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who is the 47th president of the United States. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he served as the 45 ...
, "I haven't been this scared since the Cuban Missile Crisis
The Cuban Missile Crisis, also known as the October Crisis () in Cuba, or the Caribbean Crisis (), was a 13-day confrontation between the governments of the United States and the Soviet Union, when American deployments of Nuclear weapons d ...
. I think the human race is hanging in a delicate balance right now, and I'm just so afraid he will put us in a war. He scares me." Van Dyke again endorsed and campaigned for Sanders in the 2020 Democratic Party presidential primaries. Van Dyke endorsed Kamala Harris
Kamala Devi Harris ( ; born October 20, 1964) is an American politician and attorney who served as the 49th vice president of the United States from 2021 to 2025 under President Joe Biden. She is the first female, first African American, and ...
for president in the 2024 U.S. presidential election.
In December 2024, during the California wildfires, Van Dyke had to evacuate from his home in Malibu. He said, "I was trying to crawl to ycar. I had exhausted myself. I couldn't get up. Three neighbors came and carried me out." His home survived the wildfires. Soon afterward, Van Dyke evacuated his home again due to the January 2025 Palisades Fire.
Health
Van Dyke is sober after struggling with alcoholism for years, and he checked in to a hospital for three weeks in 1972 to be treated for his addiction. Van Dyke was a heavy smoker for most of his adult life. In a January 2013 interview with the London ''Daily Telegraph
''The Daily Telegraph'', known online and elsewhere as ''The Telegraph'', is a British daily broadsheet conservative newspaper published in London by Telegraph Media Group and distributed in the United Kingdom and internationally. It was foun ...
,'' he said he had been using Nicorette gum for the past decade. In April 2013, Van Dyke revealed that for seven years he had been experiencing symptoms of a neurological disorder, in which he felt a pounding in his head whenever he lay down. Despite his undergoing tests, no diagnosis had been made. He had to cancel scheduled appearances owing to fatigue from lack of sleep because of the medical condition. In May 2013, Van Dyke tweeted that it seemed his titanium dental implants might have been responsible.
Acting credits and accolades
Van Dyke has received various awards, including a Grammy Award
The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious ...
, six Emmy Awards
The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the year, each with their own set of rules and award categor ...
, and a Tony Award
The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ce ...
. In 1961 he won the Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Musical for his performance in '' Bye Bye Birdie''. In 1964 he won a Grammy Award for Best Children's Album for ''Mary Poppins''. Nominated for 10 Primetime Emmy Awards
The Primetime Emmy Awards, or Primetime Emmys, are part of the extensive range of Emmy Awards for artistic and technical merit for the American television industry. Owned and operated by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS), the P ...
, Van Dyke received four awards for his work on ''The Dick Van Dyke Show'' and ''Van Dyke and Company''.
In 1998, Van Dyke was honored by the Walt Disney Company with their Disney Legends
Disney Legends is a Hall of Fame award that is awarded by The Walt Disney Company to individuals who " avemade a significant impact on the Disney legacy." The honor was established in 1987, and was traditionally awarded annually during a spe ...
award. He became the oldest living Disney Legend following the death of Glynis Johns in 2024. In 2013, Van Dyke received the Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award. In 2021, he was honored with the Kennedy Center Honors
The Kennedy Center Honors are annual honors given to those in the performing arts for their lifetime of contributions to Culture of the United States, American culture. They have been presented annually since 1978, culminating each December in ...
, where he was given tribute by Julie Andrews, Steve Martin, Chita Rivera, Bryan Cranston, and Lin-Manuel Miranda. Laura Osnes sang " Jolly Holiday", and Derek Hough performed " Step in Time" both from ''Mary Poppins'' (1964). Together Hough and Osnes performed " Put on a Happy Face" from '' Bye Bye Birdie''. Aaron Tveit sang "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang" with Pentatonix.
In 2024, at the age of 98, Van Dyke received the award for Outstanding Guest Performer in a Drama Series at the 51st Daytime Emmy Awards for his performance on '' Days of Our Lives'', becoming the oldest person to win a Daytime Emmy and the oldest to be nominated for one.
Published works
Van Dyke has written five (5) books, including his memoir, which was published in 2011:
* A humorous collection of photographs from Van Dyke's film and television career.
* "The funny things kids say about religion", drawn from his experiences as a Sunday School teacher.
* "A treasury of classroom laughter", a compilation of humorous anecdotes provided by teachers.
* (Van Dyke's memoir)
*
See also
* List of members of the American Legion
* List of people from Missouri
References
External links
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Dick Van Dyke – Disney Legends profile
(requires Flash)
* ''Empire
An empire is a political unit made up of several territories, military outpost (military), outposts, and peoples, "usually created by conquest, and divided between a hegemony, dominant center and subordinate peripheries". The center of the ...
'' �
The Worst British Accents Ever
– Number 11 – Dick Van Dyke singing in ''Mary Poppins'' (1964) (requires Flash)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Van Dyke, Dick
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