As Dick Van Dyke prepares to celebrate his 100th birthday on December 13, the Hollywood icon says he owes his longevity to two simple things many people overlook.
The legendary performer, known for Mary Poppins, The Dick Van Dyke Show, and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, revealed that even at nearly a century old, he feels “really good for 100.”
Van Dyke has been previewing his upcoming book, *100 Reasons For Living to 100: An Optimist’s Guide to Life*, and recently spoke with PEOPLE from his Malibu home about the mindset that keeps him energized.
Van Dyke Says Letting Go of Anger Has Been Key
Despite joking that he’s “rather lazy,” Van Dyke explained that avoiding anger and hate has been one of the biggest contributors to his long, healthy life.
Credit: Rodin Eckenroth/Getty Images.
He shared that he never could “work up a feeling of hate,” even toward people he strongly disagreed with. “Anger is one thing that eats up a person’s insides,” he said. “I think that is one of the chief things that kept me going.”
Van Dyke also reflected on his father, who he described as frequently upset by life, saying: “It did take him at 73 years old.”
The Actor Says He Doesn’t Fear Death
When discussing life after death, the award-winning star said he holds no fear about what comes next. “When you expire, you expire,” he told PEOPLE. “I’ve had such a wonderfully full and exciting life that I can’t complain.”
Van Dyke, 99, has been married to makeup artist Arlene Silver, 54, since 2012. He credits her for helping him stay youthful, centered, and upbeat.
“She’s responsible for keeping me in the moment,” he said. “She kept me happy every day of my life. She’s a joy. She can get me singing or dancing, and she carries so much responsibility. I’m just lucky.”
Dick Van Dyke and his wife, Arlene Silver, attended the Creative Arts Emmys in 2024. Credit: Amy Sussman/Getty Images.
What Dick Van Dyke Hopes His Legacy Will Be
As for how he wants to be remembered, Van Dyke says personal legacy matters less to him than the impact of his work on children.
“What I left in the way of children’s entertainment and children’s music – that’s my legacy,” he said. He added that as long as children are joyfully singing classics like Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious or Chim Chim Cher-ee, “the most important part of me will always be alive.”