A Man Has Dreams, sings Dick Van Dyke in the iconic 1964 film “Mary Poppins,” where he played Bert, the irrepressibly cheerful chimney sweep. His broad smile throughout the movie (remember the classic scene where he dances with animated penguins?) became almost a personal trademark. And as for the dreams a man may have, it seems he fulfilled them all.
In real life, too, he has held fast to an unshakable optimism. Van Dyke is celebrating his 100th birthday this month, and in interviews marking the milestone and the release of his new book, 100 Rules for Living to 100: An Optimist's Guide to a Happy Life, he stresses how crucial a positive, energetic outlook has been to his longevity. His morning coffee, he notes, still comes with five sugar cubes.
Van Dyke was born on December 13, 1925, in Missouri and grew up in Illinois. His career began not onstage but as a wartime broadcaster during World War II, serving in the U.S. Army Air Forces radio service. He later performed in musicals such as Bye Bye Birdie, for which he won a Tony Award, and appeared on television programs including The Dick Van Dyke Show, which earned him three Emmys. But his breakthrough role in Mary Poppins, followed by the runaway success of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, made him an international star.
Until recent years, Van Dyke continued acting in television and film. In 2023, he even appeared on the ninth season of the American version of “The Masked Singer,” disguised as a garden gnome. In his personal life, Van Dyke has been married twice and has four children with his first wife, Margie Willett, whom he divorced after 36 years. After a long relationship with actress Michelle Triola, who died in 2009, he married makeup artist Arlene Silver in 2012. She is 47 years younger than he is, and he credits that age gap with contributing to his longevity.
In an opinion piece he published this month in the Sunday Times, Van Dyke acknowledges that he feels the effects of age more sharply now, from foot pain to diminished vision and hearing. He also describes difficulty following group conversations, which sometimes leaves him feeling disconnected and prompts him to decline invitations requiring travel. Most of his social life now takes place at his California estate, valued at about eight million dollars.
The actor admits he is surprised to have reached 100. “I didn’t expect to make it past 80 and I have no idea what I did right,” he writes, though he believes constant activity has played a decisive role. That includes maintaining an unusually rigorous routine for someone his age, with three weekly sessions at the gym. If he misses a workout, he says, he can feel stiffness creeping in and his overall energy dip. His sessions involve rotating among machines, working all muscle groups and performing exercises that support balance, stability and strength.
Five habits Van Dyke credits for reaching 100 in good health
• Mindful eating with room for treats: He eats meat only once a week and has blueberries for breakfast, though he still takes five sugar cubes in his morning coffee and enjoys ice cream at night.
• Quitting drinking and smoking: At 47, he overcame alcoholism through medical treatment in a hospital, and he replaced cigarettes with nicotine gum.
• Singing and dancing: The talents that made him famous have also served him well personally. He writes that he tries to sing and dance with his wife every day. Even at the gym, he moves between machines in dance-like steps and with a hum. He says singing and dancing keep him young, lift his spirits, and help him stay positive as he ages. At 75, he founded the a cappella group The Vantastix, which still performs.
• Social ties and love: As the years passed, nearly all his close friends died, and the loneliness began to weigh on him. His marriage, he says, keeps him grounded and gives him motivation “to stay in the world.” In his view, love and intimacy are not luxuries for the young but essential to a meaningful life.
• Living with joy: Van Dyke emphasizes that he does not define himself by age. He recalls playing elderly characters who required heavy makeup, and now he is “the real thing,” with all that time brings. But instead of giving in to despair, he chooses to live joyfully — to keep moving, maintain a sense of humor and surround himself with people who strengthen him. As for what he hopes to leave behind: “The films and shows I made speak for me. I think it’s all about a life approach — always looking at the positive side.”
Julie Andrews turns 90
Van Dyke’s “Mary Poppins” co-star Julie Andrews also marked a major milestone, celebrating her 90th birthday in October. Her career has been equally illustrious, spanning Mary Poppins and The Sound of Music (1965) to The Princess Diaries (2001), as well as voice roles such as Queen Lillian in the “Shrek” films (from 2004 on) and Lady Whistledown in “Bridgerton” (since 2020). In 2000, she received the title of Dame from Queen Elizabeth II, the highest British honor for a woman.
In interviews in recent years, Andrews has been asked about the lifestyle choices that have supported her longevity and relatively good health, despite the irreversible vocal cord damage she suffered after surgery in her 60s to remove benign lesions.
Like Van Dyke, she credits a positive outlook with much of the difference. “I tend to be a glass-half-full person most of the time. We don't always get to choose the outcome of our endeavors, but any challenge is ultimately a learning experience, whether it's successful or not,” she told Business Insider. “One of the ways I maintain perspective is by focusing on gratitude for what is working, what I am learning, and what I already have … which is so very much. If I can stay in the day and not get too far ahead of myself anticipating outcomes or fearing the worst, I can remember how much I have to be grateful for. It's not so much an avoidance mechanism — "I'll think about it tomorrow" — as it is asking myself, is this something I need to worry about today? Is there an action I need to take today? If not, can I use the day to stand still, to reflect further and maintain equilibrium?”
Andrews also credits writing and creative work with playing a vital role in her life. Over the years, she has written a range of books and collaborated with her daughter, children’s author and educator Emma Walton Hamilton, on the children’s book Waiting in the Wings. Ahead of the release of her 2019 memoir, she told Oprah Daily that keeping a journal helped her stay grounded.
As for diet and exercise, Andrews says she maintains a protein-rich diet. In a cookbook she helped write, she shared an unusual recipe for carrot cake topped with tofu frosting instead of powdered sugar. Her daily routine includes morning activity — stretching, aerobics and even ballet barre exercises.