Dick Van Dyke, 99, opens up on ‘curse’ of approaching 100th birthday following sad loss
Hollywood legend Dick Van Dyke has revealed he was set to team up with his longtime friend Ed Asner for a remake of the classic comedy The Odd Couple before Asner’s death in August 2021 at the age of 91.
The 99-year-old actor made the disclosure during a Q&A with his wife, Arlene Van Dyke, at their Dick & Arlene Van Dyke Present Vandy Camp event in Malibu, California.
“That would’ve been such fun, and we lost it. I’ve lost a lot of friends,” Van Dyke said during the conversation, reflecting on the missed opportunity.
His wife Arlene, who is 53, then offered a poignant observation about her husband’s longevity, stating: “He’s outlived everybody. That’s the curse of living to almost 100.”
When asked about the secret to maintaining his positive outlook despite these losses, Van Dyke told People: “Well, life’s been good to me. I can’t complain.”
Despite approaching his centenary, Van Dyke continues to perform rather than settling into retirement.
The actor, who will turn 100 in December, explained his motivation during the Malibu event where he performed with his barbershop quartet, The Vantastix.
“I’m a ham,” he told the publication. “I love it. I get a jolt of energy from an audience.”
The actor’s enthusiasm for performance has been a constant throughout his career, with the nonagenarian still drawing vitality from connecting with live audiences.
The Odd Couple has enjoyed multiple successful iterations since its debut as Neil Simon’s Broadway play in 1965.
The story follows neat-freak Felix who moves in with his messy best friend Oscar following a divorce, leading to comedic clashes over their differing household standards.
A film adaptation followed in 1968, starring Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau. The concept was then developed into a television series by Garry Marshall, premiering in September 1970 and running for five seasons, with Jack Klugman as Oscar and Tony Randall as Felix.
Reflecting on his decades-long entertainment career, Van Dyke singled out his role as Albert Peterson in Broadway’s Bye Bye Birdie from April 1960 to October 1961 as particularly significant.
“[It’s] the one that got me off the ground,” he explained. “It was the biggest thrill. And I got a Tony [Award] later.”
This Broadway success led to him reprising the role in the 1963 film adaptation whilst simultaneously headlining The Dick Van Dyke Show, where he played comedy writer Rob Petrie during the sitcom’s successful five-year run.
During this successful period, Van Dyke was also cast alongside Julie Andrews in 1964’s Mary Poppins, playing both chimney sweep Bert and bank chairman Mr. Dawes Sr.
He recalled how Andrews, now 89, was “as sweet as she could be and so patient with me” as he struggled with the singing aspects of his performance.
“I’m not a real singer, so I tend to be under, fighting to get up there and sing on top of the note. Just took me forever in the recording,” he said.
“But [Andrews] was just patient as could be and kept helping me, saying, ‘Think high. Think up there.’ And it turned out great. She was wonderful. We had a wonderful time together.”