We previously reported that the legendary Hollywood star Dick Van Dyke had been revealed to be a contestant on “The Masked Singer.” Now, the 98 year-old is crediting his 51-year-old wife Arlene Silver with being the secret to his longevity.
Van Dyke Talks Longevity
“Having a beautiful young wife half my age to take care of me [helps],” Van Dyke said, according to The New York Post.
Van Dyke went on to say that a “positive attitude” helps to keep him healthy, adding, “I get that from my wife.”
Aside from his wife, Van Dyke believes that exercise is fundamental in staying healthy in one’s later years.
“I wrote a book called ‘Keep Moving‘: I still go to the gym three days a week and work out,” he explained. “I advise everybody to do that, because that’s what ages people — it’s just a stiffening up and not exercising their muscles and their lungs. Exercise is the answer.”
Van Dyke has long been open about how important he feels that exercise is.
“I’ve always been an exerciser and still am … I get in the pool and exercise. At my age, they say to keep moving. Put me on solid ground and I’ll start tapping,” he told Closer Weekly back in 2019.
Related: Dick Van Dyke, 97, Revealed As The Gnome On ‘The Masked Singer’
Van Dyke’s History
Silver is Van Dyke’s second wife, as he was previously married to Margie Willett from 1948 until they divorced in 1984. After his divorce, he was in a relationship with the actress Michelle Triola for over thirty years before she passed away in 2009. Van Dyke met Silver at the 2007 Screen Actors Guild Awards, when he was 81 and she was 35.
“We share an attitude,” Van Dyke previously said of Silver. “She can go with the flow. She loves to sing and dance, which we do almost every day. She’s just delightful.”
Silver has also opened up about the moment she met Van Dyke.
“He said, ‘Hi, I’m Dick.’ The first thing I asked him was, ‘Weren’t you in Mary Poppins?’ We got along immediately as friends, so it didn’t feel like he was so much older than me,” she recalled. “He is the most perfect human being. I’ve never met anyone so happy, so genuine, so amazing. He’s just like a happy pill.”
They were friends for many years before their relationship turned romantic, and Van Dyke has expressed his relief that his fans are so supportive of their marriage.
“I thought there would be an outcry about a gold digger marrying an old man, but no one ever took that attitude,” he said.
Related: Dick Van Dyke, 97, Spotted Outside Local Labor Center Handing Out Money To Those In Need
Van Dyke ‘Is A Lot Of Fun’
Silver has said that the 46 year age difference between herself and her husband has never been an issue.
“He is a lot of fun. He’s not immature in a bad way. He’s immature in a good way with the wonder of a child,” she once told Parade. “He’s just fun, he’s open minded. He’s not stuck in his ways at all. We’re both like children. We feel like we’re both having a second childhood.”
Van Dyke is a true living legend, so it’s great to see that he’s still loving life with his wife at 97 years of age. We’d like to wish both Van Dyke and Silver many years of happiness to come!
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