Dick Van Dyke, the chimney sweep from Mary Poppins, just turned 100

And the actor is still in good shape!

Happy Birthday Dick Van Dyke!

This weekend, the American actor celebrated his 100th birthday. A dizzying milestone for a legend of the show, the small and the big screen. And it always has the form:

“He’s a little slower, but honestly… he still has it in him!” smiles his wife Arlene Silver.

The iconic actor and dancer recently told People magazine that he “feels like he’s 13.” Although he can sometimes forget what he ate for breakfast, he nevertheless remembers perfectly, word for word, the lyrics of his favorite songs. “I don’t know why, but that’s how it is,” he said simply.

Throughout an exceptional career, marked by the classics Mary Poppins and his cult sitcom The Dick Van Dyke Show, in the 60s, Dick Van Dyke piled up awards: Emmy Awards, Tony Award, Grammy Award. A track record worthy of an artist who has become a national treasure.

His magic numbers have spanned generations. “He will live forever,” says Arlene Silver, moved when talking about his legacy.

But the person concerned does not seem to understand the extent of his global aura. “I tell him all the time, but I don’t think he really realizes,” says his wife, who is almost 50 years younger than him. “He goes, ‘Oh, I’ve just been there a long time.’ It’s much more than that. You are in people’s blood. In their hearts and souls. How many people can say that? I received some fan mail the other day: a 4-year-old girl loves The Dick Van Dyke Show. It’s his favorite series. It’s so beautiful.”

Above all, Arlene Silver says she is deeply grateful. “I’m honored to be his wife, to take care of him, to make him as happy as he deserves. In return, I receive so many blessings. It’s crazy to think that his 90th birthday was ten years ago, and that was already huge…and here he is at 100. I’m just grateful that he’s healthy.” Before adding: “He is totally present. And I love being part of this joyful movement.”

And Dick Van Dyke still wants to play with the camera.

In 2024, the group Coldplay* unveiled the music video All My Love, directed by Spike Jonze: a family reunion, a career retrospective and a duet with Chris Martin. Since then, Dick Van Dyke has continued to appear in public, faithful to his sunny optimism.

In his memoirs, he wrote: “Hope is the essential nutrient of life, and love is what gives it meaning. As corny as it may sound, I think that’s where my choice to stay in entertainment that the whole family could watch came from. I’m proud to have stayed clean, to have stood for something and held values.”

At 100 years old, Dick Van Dyke isn’t just looking back. It continues to illuminate the present.