• iconNews
  • videos
  • entertainment
  • Home
  • News
    • UK News
    • US News
    • Australia
    • Ireland
    • World News
    • Weird News
    • Viral News
    • Sport
    • Technology
    • Science
    • True Crime
    • Travel
  • Entertainment
    • Celebrity
    • TV & Film
    • Netflix
    • Music
    • Gaming
    • TikTok
  • LAD Originals
    • Say Maaate to a Mate
    • Daily Ladness
    • Lad Files
    • UOKM8?
    • FreeToBe
    • Extinct
    • Citizen Reef
  • Advertise
  • Terms
  • Privacy & Cookies
  • LADbible Group
  • UNILAD
  • SPORTbible
  • GAMINGbible
  • Tyla
  • UNILAD Tech
  • FOODbible
  • License Our Content
  • About Us & Contact
  • Jobs
  • Latest
  • Topics A-Z
  • Authors
Facebook
Instagram
X
Threads
Snapchat
TikTok
YouTube

LAD Entertainment

YouTube

LAD Stories

Submit Your Content
Dick Van Dyke marks major career milestone aged 97

Home> Entertainment

Published 15:06 21 Apr 2023 GMT+1

Dick Van Dyke marks major career milestone aged 97

He may be 97, but he's not showing any signs of slowing down yet

Jess Hardiman

Jess Hardiman

Dick Van Dyke has marked a major career milestone at the age of 97, having added a new string to his bow after seven decades in the business.

Van Dyke has become one of the biggest names on the planet thanks to credits spanning film, television and stage.

From 1964 family musical Mary Poppins to huge Broadway productions like Bye Bye Birdie, he’s pretty much done it all – not forgetting his starring role in medical crime drama Diagnosis: Murder, where he played a doctor who somehow manages to find time between saving lives to solve crime.

Over the years, he’s accumulated a number of awards including a Golden Globe, a Grammy and four Primetime Emmys – in fact, he now just needs to land an Oscar for EGOT status, one of the entertainment industry’s biggest honours.

Advert

Dick Van Dyke, 97.
REUTERS/Alamy Stock Photo

But despite having more than 70 years of experience in the industry, Van Dyke clearly has no plans to stop.

He’s still looking for ways to reinvent himself, having just ticked off a new career first.

The actor has just filmed his first ever guest-star role on a soap opera, having shot scenes for long-running American series, Days of Our Lives.

In an episode airing this autumn on Peacock, Van Dyke will play a ‘mystery man with amnesia’, featuring opposite his gym pal, Drake Hogestyn and co-star, Deidre Hall.

Advert

Speaking to Access Hollywood, he said: “Drake and I went to the same gym together. I used to kid him, ‘Say don't you ever have any parts for old people? Come on, give me a part!’ And he took me seriously. He got me a part.

“I have played old men before, but comedy old men. First time I ever just played my 97-year-old self.”

Van Dyke went on to explain how he prepared for his soap opera debut, having given himself some simple but important ‘homework’.

Van Dyke with gym pal and co-star Drake Hogestyn.
Instagram/@drakehogestyn

“I started watching [an episode] and some of those people have been doing it for 20 years,” he said.

Advert

“That's about all the homework I could do was watch one and see how they did it.

“The other thing, you have to hold [a moment] because there's this thing of music and we've said something exciting.”

Actor Carol Burnett - Van Dyke's long-time friend - also offered up some advice for the gig after guest-starring on All My Children.

The star, who turns 90 next week, told him: "Make sure you know all your lines because they don't do retakes.

"If anything goes wrong, you're stuck!"

Featured Image Credit: Everett Collection Inc/REUTERS/Alamy Stock Photo

Topics: Celebrity, TV and Film

Jess Hardiman
Jess Hardiman

Jess is Entertainment Desk Lead at LADbible Group. She graduated from Manchester University with a degree in Film Studies, English Language and Linguistics. You can contact Jess at [email protected].

X

@Jess_Hardiman

Advert

Advert

Advert

Choose your content:

2 hours ago
15 hours ago
16 hours ago
  • 2 hours ago

    Streamer 'tortured' for ten days sent final heartbreaking messages before dying on camera

    An investigation into the 'absolute horror' has been launched

    Entertainment
  • 15 hours ago

    Vegas nightclub responds after ‘fake’ Justin Bieber performed on stage and racked up $10k bar tab

    An imposter pulled the wool over the eyes of event organisers and had a very nice time doing it

    Entertainment
  • 16 hours ago

    Netflix fans given strict deadline for Martin Freeman dark comedy with 92% score

    The popular Martin freeman TV series is coming off Netflix soon

    Entertainment
  • 16 hours ago

    Full plot to 'kidnap' Shannon Matthews explained as detective issues direct message

    The disappearance of Shannon Matthews has been the focus of a new Prime Video documentary

    Entertainment
  • Modern Family star Aubrey Anderson-Emmons changes name as she makes major career change
  • Dick & Dom star shocks fans with very different career 18 years after hit children’s show
  • Dick Van Dyke, 99, addresses 45-year age gap with wife Arlene, 53, that 'everyone said wouldn't work'
  • The Office star had major life change after show was watched for 57 billion minutes