Dick Van Dyke’s wife Arlene keeps him active daily as he reaches 100

Dick Van Dyke turns 100 on December 13, and he attributes his momentous birthday to a daily ritual that his wife faithfully maintains.

The actor, best known for his roles in “Mary Poppins” and “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang,” is the subject of a new documentary, “Dick Van Dyke: 100th Celebration,” which will be in theaters throughout the year. His birthday holiday On December 13 and 14.

Director Steve Butcher told Fox News Digital that Van Dyke’s secret to staying remarkably young at 100 is surprisingly simple. He said the star’s wife, Arlene Silver, keeps him active every day, constantly singing, dancing and moving.

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Dick Van Duke celebrates his 100th birthday on December 13. He is the subject of a new documentary called “Dick Van Dyke: Celebrating 100 Years.” (Monty Brinton/CBS via Getty Images)

They start their day with music.

“Arlene is a major force — I really believe that,” Butcher said. “I think there’s something about these two. They’re like children together. They both love to sing, and they wake up in the morning singing. They sing and dance and perform together.”

Arlene Silver and Dick Van Dyke attend the 51st Annual Daytime Emmys at The Westin Bonaventure Hotel & Suites in Los Angeles on June 7, 2024. (Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images)

“I really think she was a powerful force to keep him energized, entertained and connected to the music,” he said. “I think that’s part of the key Live for a long time“.

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Van Dyck and his wife (54 years old) She got married in 2012. Despite their 46-year age gap, the star insists they are a perfect fit.

“I think the magical thing about their relationship is that he always says, ‘I’m kind of immature,’” Butcher said with a laugh. “So they’re actually quite equal, age-wise. I think they’re just two big kids who like to be together. And you can see that he smiles when you are around. “I think that’s a really magical thing.”

Dick Van Dyke and Arlene Silver attend Carol Burnett’s hand and footprint at the Cement Gala at TCL Chinese Theater on June 20, 2024 in Hollywood. (Monica Schipper/Getty Images)

Butcher said Van Dyke starts his day with music, makes sure to laugh a lot throughout the day and always finds a way to fit in. Daily practice – Whether it’s dancing at home or going to the gym.

Dick Van Dyke and his wife Arlene Silver are photographed at home on April 21, 2016, in Malibu, California. Singing and dancing are part of their daily routine. (Roxanne McCann/Getty Images)

Getting plenty of sunlight also helps.

“He smiles, sings, works out and lives the perfect life,” Butcher said. “He’s in Malibu. There’s nothing wrong with Malibu,just to let you know. It’s a magical place for him. I think that’s part of the key. “He’s living his perfect life.”

Dick Van Dyke and Arlene Silver first met in 2006 at the SAG Awards, where she was working as a makeup artist. Van Dyke later said he was immediately struck by her warmth and kindness. They married in 2012. (Axel/Power Griffin/FilmMagic/Getty Images)

Van Dijk previously wrote an article for Times UKwhere he described how staying active was the key to maintaining his physical strength and sanity.

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Dick Van Dyke at the 76th Annual Creative Arts Emmy Awards on September 7, 2024 in Los Angeles. (JC Oliveira/Variety via Getty Images)

“I still try to go to the gym three times a week,” he explained. “I don’t know why I still want to do this, but it is. I’m not the type to get up and go back to bed yet, unless it’s cold and rainy. If I miss too many days of exercise, I can really feel it — stiffness creeping in here and there. If I let it, well, God help me.”

“In the gym, I usually do a circle“Moving from one machine to another without interruption, in a circle,” he said. “I start with a sit-up machine. Arlene says I can do 500, but that might be overkill. Then I do all the leg exercises religiously because my legs are two of my most valuable assets. Then my upper body.”

“Dick Van Dyke: 100th Celebration,” directed by Steve Butcher, will be in theaters for one weekend only on December 13 and 14. (understanding entertainment)

“The secret ingredient is the music,” he continued. “Most of my humming and singing really happens when I move from one instrument to another. By ‘go’ I mean dance. You’ve heard me—dancing! And if I’m really feeling it, I’m not a quiet warbler; I’m a Broadway singer.”

Dick Van Dyke (L) and Carol Burnett at the TCL Chinese Theater on June 20, 2024, in Hollywood, California. (Eric Charbonneau/Getty Images for Apple TV+)

Van Dyke also gave up cigarettes and alcohol decades ago.

When he’s not putting in the effort, Van Dyke makes it a priority to find something to be grateful for every day.

Dick Van Dyke has some pep in his step on the red carpet for Carol Burnett’s hand and footprint ceremony. (Frederick J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images)

“He came from a small town in the Midwest,” Butcher said. “He had written two books before that about his hometown, Danville: ‘There’s a rich side of town, and there’s a poor side of town, but there’s no bad side of town in Danville.’ I think he has a way of seeing that everything is fine in life. He thinks there’s always 90 percent of life that’s great and 10 percent that maybe isn’t great, and he’s always focused on that 90 percent.”

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Dick Van Dyke and Anne Howes starred in the 1968 film “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.” (Victor Croshaw/Mirrorpix/Getty Images)

Over the years, Van Dyke has managed to avoid Hollywood scandals and has been hailed as one of the nicest guys in the entertainment industry.

“It really is,” Butcher said. “He was very generous to us in making this film, and his wife Arlene was also very generous. I really think he has a great heart. He came out of the Depression. He didn’t know what poverty was, even though he lived through it. I think that really comes from growing up in this small town, which had a huge impact on his upbringing. It shaped him his whole life.”

“The Dick Van Dyke Show” aired for five seasons, from October 3, 1961, to June 1, 1966. (Getty Images)

Looking back on his decades of success in Hollywood, Van Dyke doesn’t have many regrets. Over the past 30 years, Butcher has spoken with many of his close friends and collaborators to learn about his 80-plus years in the entertainment industry. He interviewed Mary Tyler Moore, Carl Reiner, and Chita Rivera, among others, all of whom have since died.

Chita Rivera and Dick Van Dyke perform together on stage in Eli And Edythe Broad Theater’s production of “Chita: A Legendary Celebration” at The Broad Stage on February 10, 2017, in Santa Monica, California. (Amanda Edwards/Getty Images)

Along the way, Butcher discovered some fun facts about the beloved legend.

“he Tested for “The price is right” Butcher said. “He came home and said to his first wife, ‘It’s a show about guessing prices. How will this continue? It won’t last six weeks!” Now, he’s been on the air for decades. But he laughs and says, “I guessed wrong.” The show is amazing, and he could have been the host, but I think we’re better off with the path he chose.”

Bob Barker hosted “The Price is Right” for 35 years – from September 4, 1972 until his retirement on June 15, 2007. He remains the longest-serving game show host in US history. (Jesse Grant/WireImage/Getty Images)

But one part he regretted missing out on was the chance to play 007.

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Dick Van Dyke said he turned down the chance to play James Bond after Sean Connery (pictured here). (Getty Images)

On November 19, during an appearance on the “Today” show, Van Dyke said he had been contacted Play James Bond After Sean Connery left the role.

“[Producer] “Albert Broccoli came up to me and said, ‘Do you want to be Bond?'” Van Dyke recalls. “I said, ‘Did you hear my British accent?’ Click!”

Dick Van Dyke dazzled generations with his talent, reshaping cinema, theatre, comedy and dance. (Culture Club/Getty Images)

Van Dyke admitted that he never pursued the role because he was afraid that “the audience wouldn’t accept it from me.” However, he admitted that standing in Bond’s shoes “would have been an amazing experience.”

Dick Van Dyke is best known for his starring role opposite Julie Andrews in the 1965 film “Mary Poppins.” (Donaldson Collection/Getty Images)

“It was really suitable for family entertainment,” Butcher said. “He kicked in New YorkThat’s where CBS tried to find a place for him — whether it was in the news, which wasn’t quite right, or early children’s programming, which wasn’t quite right either.

“It took a while for him to figure out where he belonged,” Butcher continued. “He ended up on Broadway doing ‘Bye Bye Birdie,’ and that’s where people discovered him — where Walt Disney and Carl Reiner, the creator of ‘The Dick Van Dyke Show,’ found him.”

Dick Van Dyke lights up the screen in an energetic scene from the 1963 hit film Bye Bye Birdie, directed by George Sidney. (Michael Oakes Archives/Getty Images)

Despite all the music and movement that still fuels him every day, Van Dyke believes his true mark still remains in work that has touched generations.

Dick Van Dyke ignored warnings about his 46-year age gap with wife Arlene Silver

Dick Van Dyke wins “Guest Performance in a Daytime Drama Series” for “Days of Our Lives” at the 51st Emmy Awards held at The Westin Bonaventure on June 7, 2024 in Los Angeles. (Gilbert Flores/Variety via Getty Images)

“When you ask Mr. Van Dyke how he wants to be remembered, it’s all about the business,” Butcher said. “It’s about the family entertainment that he brought — whether it was ‘Mary Poppins,’ ‘Chitty Chitty Bang Bang,’ or ‘The Dick Van Dyke Show,’ they will live on. He knows that is his legacy.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.