The Hollywood legend Dick Van Dyke is just one month away from celebrating his 100th birthday. Despite his advanced age, Van Dyke is still having a blast and enjoying life as much as possible.
Now, the director of a new documentary about Van Dyke is speaking out to say that the former Mary Poppins star’s 54 year-old wife Arlene Silver is a “key force” in keeping him “vibrant and alive” at 99.
Van Dyke And Silver’s Beautiful ‘Love Affair’
The documentary Dick Van Dyke: 100th Celebration, is set to premiere on December 13, which is Van Dyke’s 100th birthday. Steve Boettcher, the director of this documentary, told People Magazine that he sees Van Dyke and Silver as “big kids.”
“I think they just want to play. And I think you saw that probably too when you were at [the pair’s event,] Vandy Camp. And I think that’s reflected in the relationship,” Boettcher said. “Honestly, I think she’s been a key force in keeping him so vibrant and alive today. I really feel that that love affair is amazing.”
Boettcher spent a whopping thirty years working on this documentary. During that time, he spoke with Van Dyke and many other titans of Hollywood. Boettcher explained that the goal of the documentary is to “interview the people that worked with him and not people that remember watching him all the time.”
When Boettcher started working on this documentary, his plan was to just interview former cast members from The Dick Van Dyke Show. However, the project quickly “started gaining its own momentum” from there.
“This is an 80-year career in the making, and I think it’s easy to look at a few shows and say, ‘Wow, those are great,'” Boettcher stated. “But collectively, what does that all mean? Why is he so extraordinary today? Why do we love him so much?”
“There’s some really touching, sweet, fun moments in it,” he added. “And I think we also, we laugh again with him. We kind of hum along to the songs he sings. I think it’s all those things. It’s really a celebration.”
Van Dyke And Silver’s History
Van Dyke and Silver met at the Screen Actors Guild Awards back in 2006. At the time, Silver was working as a makeup artist at the event.
At first, Van Dyke and Silver were just friends. That all changed after the 2009 death of Van Dyke’s longtime partner Michelle Triola. Van Dyke has said that in the wake of this tragedy, Silver was “such a support,” and he subsequently “fell in love.” They married in 2012, and they’ve been devoted to one another ever since.
“We get along so well,” Van Dyke said back in April. Silver chimed in to add that they “just care about each other so much.”
“Everybody said it wouldn’t work,” Van Dyke confessed. Silver agreed, saying, “Yeah. I mean it’s like eerie how well it works. People the same age don’t last.”
Check out Van Dyke and Silver performing together a few years ago in the video below.
Van Dyke’s 100th Birthday
This comes as Van Dyke is preparing to turn 100.
“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,” Van Dyke admitted last month. “And it is frustrating because I don’t know what I did right. Other than her [Silver], I didn’t do anything right.”
We would have to disagree with you there, Mr. Van Dyke, as you’ve done quite a lot right in your life!
We’re so glad to see that Van Dyke has such a supportive wife at 99 years of age. Here’s hoping that Van Dyke has a very happy birthday, and many more to come!