Dick Van Dyke jokes that he’s “praying” to make it to his 99th birthday
Dick Van Dijk
Paul Morigi/Getty ImagesDick Van Dijk is in good spirits after canceling a series of public appearances.
Van Dyke, 98, was spotted running errands with a helper in Malibu, California on Monday, September 23. In video footage published by Page six, the Hollywood legend smiled as he walked through a parking lot with a cane.
“I’m pretty old,” Van Dyke told a photographer Page six.
When asked if he had plans to celebrate his 99th birthday in December, he joked, “I’m just praying I make it.”
A star of both stage and screen, Dick Van Dyke has endeared himself to generations of fans. Van Dyke – who has four Emmys, one Grammy and a Tony Award to his name – married Arlene Silver in 2012. During a February 2023 interview with Yahoo! Music, the Mary Poppins star joked that “having a […]
Earlier Monday, news broke that Van Dyke had done so canceled his performance at a fan convention in Utah later this month.
“We regret to announce that Dick Van Dyke will not be able to travel to FanX,” said a statement from FanX, the company organizing the three-day event. “He expresses his gratitude to everyone who continues to support him, but at almost 99 years old, traveling and communicating with thousands of people is more than he can do at the moment.”
FanX 2024 would have been Van Dyke’s first public appearance outside Los Angeles in months. We weekly reached out to Van Dyke’s representatives for comment.
This cancellation comes after Van Dyke skipped the 2024 Emmy Awards on Sunday, September 15, despite being tapped by ABC and the Television Academy as one of the show’s many celebrity hosts.
Dick Van Dyke has had his family by his side throughout his extraordinary career. The Mary Poppins star was born in 1925 to Hazel Victoria and Loren Wayne “Cookie” Van Dyke. Dick became a big brother six years later when his brother, Jerry Van Dyke, arrived. When Dick starred in his sitcom The Dick […]
The Mary Poppins star had previously appeared in the Emmy Awards for Creative Arts 2024 on September 7. His CBS special, Dick Van Dyke 98 years of magicwon the award for Outstanding Variety Special. Van Dyke posed for photos on the red carpet with the award while sitting in a chair. His wife Arlene Silver joined him for the black-tie occasion.
Speaking to reporters at the event, Van Dyke joked that he is still “looking for work.” He also shared that he wanted his legacy to be “laughter.”
“Because I’ve been making people laugh for 75 years,” he continued. “I’ve been in the business for 75 years, I can’t believe I’m still here and performing!”
Earlier this year, Van Dyke became the oldest person ever to win a Daytime Emmy at the 51st Annual Daytime Emmy Awards for his guest appearance as Timothy Robicheaux on Days of our lives.
“Thank you. I don’t believe this. I feel like a spy on late-night television,” he said in his acceptance speech at the awards ceremony on June 7. “I’m the oldest nominee in history. I’ve been playing old men all my life. If I had known I would live that long, I would have taken better care of myself.”
Van Dyke’s acting career spanned more than 70 years and rose to fame as a comedian, singer and dancer. His other roles include Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, The Dick Van Dyke Show And Diagnosis: murder.
