Reaching the age of 100 is a rare achievement, with statistics showing that fewer than one in every 100 men and one in every 50 women live to see this milestone.
For Dick Van Dyke, who is approaching his centenary, the experience comes with challenges.
The 99-year-old Hollywood icon candidly discussed the drawbacks of reaching such an advanced age in an interview, revealing feelings of being ‘diminished’ both ‘physically and socially’ due to his lengthy lifespan.
As he approaches his 100th birthday on December 13, Van Dyke shared with the Times of London the heartache of outliving many loved ones. This includes his first wife Margie Willett, whom he divorced in 1984 after 36 years and four children, and his long-time partner Michelle Triola, with whom he spent three decades. Both women passed away two years apart, in 2007 and 2009.
“Every single one of my dearest lifelong friends is gone, which feels just as lonely as it sounds,” the star of *Chitty Chitty Bang Bang* revealed to the publication.
The actor also expressed feeling ‘diminished’ as he nears his 100th birthday, pointing to age-related limitations that keep him from enjoying the vibrant, star-studded life he once led. Since his breakthrough in the entertainment industry with *The Dick Van Dyke Show* in 1961, Van Dyke has been a prominent figure. His fame solidified with his roles in the iconic films *Mary Poppins* and *Chitty Chitty Bang Bang*, filmed between 1963 and 1967.
Despite a career spanning six decades, Van Dyke admitted that his age now restricts him from traveling from his California home for acting roles or glamorous events, even though he remains mentally sharp.
“That kind of travel takes so much out of me that I have to say no,” he admitted.
Nevertheless, Van Dyke has found a way to remain active and motivated: his marriage to a woman half his age.
He wrote: “Without question, our ongoing romance is the most important reason I have not withered away into a hermetic grouch… Arlene is half my age, and she makes me feel somewhere between two thirds and three quarters my age, which is still saying a lot.”
In 2012, at 86, Van Dyke married TV producer Arlene Silver, who is 46 years younger. He credits their relationship with helping him maintain a positive outlook.
However, Van Dyke acknowledged that staying positive is challenging given the current global situation, which he says can ‘turn anyone sour and dark – young and old.’
Having previously voiced his opposition to Donald Trump and supported Senator Bernie Sanders, Van Dyke described the present world as particularly harsh.
“I just lived through two Southern California wildfires in less than a month, right out my front door, including the worst one in history. Daily, I spiral into anguish over the mayhem and cruelty being inflicted on the entire world by those in power. So yes, I suppose at certain times of day I am the grumpy old man who yells at the TV,” he remarked.
As he approaches his milestone birthday, Van Dyke continues to find joy through singing and light dancing, the very talents that brought him fame.
Reflecting on his long career, he said: “I have been in what I can only describe as a full-on bear hug with the experience of living. Being alive has been doing life not like a job but rather like a giant playground.”