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…
But the latest sighting of the star has warmed hearts all over the world.
Read on for the full story…
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 says.
“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.”
However, recently some tragic news has befallen fans of the star.
And our hearts were broken.
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 this week, Van Dyke has hit headlines once more for a truly heartwarming reason.
He was spotted out and about days before his 97th birthday!
“Dick Van Dyke, 96, is a National Treasure,” one fan tweeted.
“Dick is one of my eternal faves!! So talented. So gracious when surrounded by ‘the biz,'” added another.
The actor smiled from ear to ear and even posed for some photographs.
He then headed into the workout class he was taking with his wife.