Dick Van Dyke facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Dick Van Dyke
|
|
|---|---|
Van Dyke in June 2024
|
|
| Born |
Richard Wayne Van Dyke
December 13, 1925 West Plains, Missouri, U.S.
|
| Education | Danville High School |
| Occupation |
|
| Years active | 1947–present |
|
Works
|
Full list |
| Spouse(s) |
|
| Partner(s) | Michelle Triola Marvin (1976–2009; her death) |
| Children | 4, including Barry |
| Relatives |
|
| Awards | List of awards and honors |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance | United States |
| Service | United States Army Air Forces |
| Years of service | 1944–1946 |
| Rank | Staff sergeant |
| Unit | Armed Forces Radio Service |
| Wars |
|
| Awards | Good Conduct Medal |
Richard Wayne Van Dyke (born December 13, 1925) is an American actor, entertainer, and comedian. He has worked in movies, TV shows, and on stage. He has won many awards, including six Emmy Awards, a Grammy Award, and a Tony Award.
He was added to the Television Hall of Fame in 1995 and the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1993. He also received the Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award in 2013. In 2020, he was honored with the Kennedy Center Honors. The Walt Disney Company recognized him as a Disney Legend in 1998.
Van Dyke started his career in radio, TV, and nightclubs. He first appeared on Broadway in The Girls Against the Boys (1959). The next year, he starred in Bye Bye Birdie (1960). This role won him a Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Musical. He later returned to Broadway in The Music Man (1980).
On television, he became very famous as Rob Petrie in The Dick Van Dyke Show (1961–1966). This show earned him three Emmy Awards. He also appeared in shows like Columbo (1974) and The Carol Burnett Show (1977). He starred in The New Dick Van Dyke Show (1971–1974), Diagnosis: Murder (1993–2001), and Murder 101 (2006–2008).
Van Dyke is also well-known for playing Bert, the chimney sweep in the Disney movie Mary Poppins (1964). For this role, he was nominated for a Golden Globe Award. He also starred in the movie musicals Bye Bye Birdie (1963) and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (1968). In later years, he had roles in films like Dick Tracy (1990), Curious George (2006), Night at the Museum (2006), and Mary Poppins Returns (2018).
Contents
Early Life and Education
Richard Wayne Van Dyke was born on December 13, 1925. His parents were Hazel Victoria and Loren Wayne Van Dyke. He grew up in Danville, Illinois. His younger brother, Jerry Van Dyke, also became an actor. Jerry appeared with him on The Dick Van Dyke Show.
Van Dyke went to Danville High School. He was part of the choir and drama club. Being in the drama program made him want to become an entertainer. He left high school early to join the United States Army Air Forces during World War II. He served as a radio announcer and entertained troops. He was discharged in 1946 and received his high school diploma in 2004.
Career Highlights
Starting in Entertainment (1940s-1950s)
In the late 1940s, Van Dyke worked as a radio DJ. In 1947, he formed a comedy duo called "Eric and Van—the Merry Mutes." They performed mime acts and lip-synced songs. They also had a local TV show in Atlanta.
Van Dyke's first TV appearance was in 1954 on Chance of a Lifetime. He later signed a seven-year contract with CBS. He even said he was an anchorman for the CBS Morning Show with Walter Cronkite as his newsman. In November 1959, Van Dyke made his Broadway debut in The Girls Against the Boys.
Becoming a Star (1960s)
Bye Bye Birdie and Broadway Success
Van Dyke played the main role of Albert Peterson in the musical Bye Bye Birdie. The show ran from 1960 to 1961. He starred with Chita Rivera and Paul Lynde. He won a Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Musical in 1961 for this role.
He then played Albert J. Peterson in the movie version of Bye Bye Birdie (1963). The film was a success, and Van Dyke reprised his stage role.
Mary Poppins and Movie Fame
In 1964, Van Dyke starred in Walt Disney's Mary Poppins. He played two roles: Bert, a cheerful chimney sweep, and the old bank chairman, Mr. Dawes Senior. For the chairman role, he wore heavy makeup to look much older.
One of the songs he performed, "Chim Chim Cher-ee", won an Academy Award. Van Dyke also won a Grammy Award in 1964 for his performance on the Mary Poppins soundtrack.
Later in the 1960s, Van Dyke starred in other films. He played Caractacus Potts in the musical Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (1968). This movie also featured songs by the Sherman Brothers, who wrote the music for Mary Poppins.
The Dick Van Dyke Show on TV
From 1961 to 1966, Van Dyke starred in the CBS sitcom The Dick Van Dyke Show. He played Rob Petrie, a comedy writer. The show also featured Mary Tyler Moore as his wife, Laura Petrie.
Van Dyke won three Primetime Emmy Awards for his role. The series itself won four Emmy Awards. The show was known for blending workplace comedy with home life.
In 2004, the cast reunited for a special called The Dick Van Dyke Show Revisited. Van Dyke and other original cast members returned for the show.
Continuing Success (1968-2001)
In 1969, Van Dyke appeared in the comedy-drama The Comic, directed by Carl Reiner. Van Dyke had always admired silent film comedians like Charlie Chaplin. In 1970, he published a book called Faith, Hope and Hilarity.
From 1971 to 1974, Van Dyke starred in The New Dick Van Dyke Show. He played a TV talk show host. Though it was not as popular as his first show, he received a Golden Globe Award nomination. In 1973, he voiced himself in an episode of The New Scooby-Doo Movies. He also guest-starred on Columbo that year.
In 1976, he had a sketch comedy show called Van Dyke and Company. It won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy-Variety Series. He also became a regular on The Carol Burnett Show in 1977.
Diagnosis: Murder and TV Movies
For the next ten years, Van Dyke mostly appeared in TV movies. In 1986, he guest-starred on Matlock with Andy Griffith. In 1987, he appeared on Airwolf with his son, Barry Van Dyke. In 1989, he was on The Golden Girls, which earned him an Emmy nomination.
In 1990, Van Dyke played a villainous role as crooked DA Fletcher in the film Dick Tracy. This role led him to star as Dr. Mark Sloan in a series of TV movies. These movies became the popular TV drama Diagnosis: Murder. The series ran from 1993 to 2001. His son Barry Van Dyke co-starred as Dr. Sloan's son, Steve.
Van Dyke also enjoyed computer animation. He created 3D effects used on Diagnosis: Murder. He has been part of an a cappella singing group called "Dick Van Dyke and The Vantastix" since 2000. They have performed on TV and at sports games.
Later Career (2002-Present)
After Diagnosis: Murder ended, Van Dyke continued to work in television. In 2003, he reunited with Mary Tyler Moore for a TV production of The Gin Game. He also appeared on Scrubs.
In 2006, he returned to movies. He voiced Mr. Bloomsberry in Curious George. He also played Cecil Fredericks in Night at the Museum. He appeared in the third film, Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb (2014).
In 2010, Van Dyke appeared on a children's music album. In 2017, he released his own solo album, Step (Back) In Time. It featured jazz and big band songs. He also recorded a Christmas duet with actress Jane Lynch.
In 2018, Van Dyke played Mr. Dawes Jr. in Mary Poppins Returns. He had played Mr. Dawes Sr. in the original movie. He was also consulted for the TV series WandaVision to help them capture the feel of The Dick Van Dyke Show.
In 2023, Van Dyke competed on The Masked Singer as "Gnome." He was the oldest person to compete on the show at age 97. He sang "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious" as an encore. In April 2023, he guest-appeared on Days of Our Lives. In December 2023, CBS celebrated his 98th birthday with a special called Dick Van Dyke: 98 Years of Magic. In December 2024, he starred in a music video for the band Coldplay.
Influences and Legacy
Van Dyke has often said that Stan Laurel, Buster Keaton, and Carl Reiner were his comedy heroes. Many entertainers, like Steve Martin, Jim Carrey, and Bryan Cranston, have said that Van Dyke influenced them.
Personal Life
On February 12, 1948, Dick Van Dyke married Margie Willett. They had four children: Christian, Barry, Stacy, and Carrie Beth. They divorced in 1984. In 2012, at age 86, Van Dyke married make-up artist Arlene Silver.
Van Dyke often included his children and grandchildren in his TV shows. His son Barry Van Dyke and grandsons Shane and Carey Van Dyke appeared in Diagnosis: Murder. Van Dyke has seven grandchildren.
Throughout his career, Van Dyke continued to teach Sunday school. He was an elder in the Presbyterian Church.
Awards and Honors
Van Dyke has received many awards. These include a Grammy Award, six Emmy Awards, and a Tony Award. In 1961, he won the Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Musical for Bye Bye Birdie. In 1964, he won a Grammy Award for Best Children's Album for Mary Poppins. He won four Emmy Awards for The Dick Van Dyke Show and Van Dyke and Company.
In 1998, the Walt Disney Company gave him their Disney Legends award. In 2013, he received the Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award. In 2021, he was honored with the Kennedy Center Honors. Many famous people, including Julie Andrews and Lin-Manuel Miranda, paid tribute to him.
In 2024, at 98 years old, Van Dyke won a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Performer in a Drama Series for his role on Days of Our Lives. This made him the oldest person to win a Daytime Emmy.
See also
In Spanish: Dick Van Dyke para niños
- List of members of the American Legion
- List of people from Missouri
