Dick Van Dyke isn’t just defying the odds — he’s practically dancing on them. At 99 years old, the iconic entertainer is opening up in his new book, “100 Rules for Living to 100,” and it’s not just about green smoothies and positive thinking.
It’s about love. Real, day-in, day-out love — the kind that apparently comes with an age gap big enough to span two generations and the energy of a woman who Van Dyke says keeps him feeling “somewhere between two-thirds and three-quarters” his age.
The woman he’s talking about is Arlene Silver, his 54-year-old wife who entered his life at the 2006 SAG Awards as a makeup artist — and ended up becoming his soulmate. It’s a love story that caught everyone by surprise, including Van Dyke himself.
He admits in the book he had never approached a strange woman before, but something about Silver pulled him in. One charmingly bashful email later — complete with the line “I was so smitten I couldn’t think of anything to say” — and the wheels of fate were in motion.
Their connection deepened during a heartbreaking time for Van Dyke, as he lost both his ex-wife and longtime partner. But what bloomed in the aftermath was a romance that neither of them expected. Silver said it best: when she looked at her life with Van Dyke, she realized it was the happiest she’d ever been. And that age — all 48 years of difference — was irrelevant compared to the joy they shared.
Of course, she does a little more than just share the joy. According to Van Dyke, Arlene is the logistical mastermind behind the curtain, juggling phone calls, planning gigs, and making sure her husband stays active, social, and creatively fulfilled.
And yes — she’s the reason he’s still singing and dancing, whether it’s with his a cappella group The Vantastix or in a Coldplay music video filmed right in their home.
The man who brought us Bert the chimney sweep, Caractacus Potts, and Rob Petrie isn’t afraid to admit that time is short. He says he could “go any day now,” but not with fear — with gratitude. He feels like one of the lucky ones.
He got to spend a lifetime doing what he loved. And in this final chapter, it’s not about legacy or regrets. It’s about presence. About being loved. About being needed.
So what’s the secret to hitting 100? According to Dick Van Dyke, it might just be finding someone who makes you feel young — not by pretending you’re not aging, but by reminding you every day that you still matter. And maybe by keeping two phones in hand while doing it.
