For Dick Van Dyke, living to almost 100 can be “a curse.”
The “Mary Poppins” star described how he and longtime pal Ed Asner, who died in 2021 at age 91, were teaming up for a remake of the classic comedy “The Odd Couple.”
“That would’ve been such fun, and we lost it,” said the 99-year-old at the “Dick & Arlene Van Dyke Present Vandy Camp” event in Malibu, California, as reported by People magazine.
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“He’s outlived everybody,” said Van Dyke’s wife Arlene, 53. “That’s the curse of living to almost 100.”
Still, Arlene noted that the star is “still so positive” despite losing so many friends and co-stars over the years.
“Well, life’s been good to me,” said Van Dyke. “I can’t complain.”
The actor told People magazine at the event that he’s determined to perform instead of easing into retirement. Van Dyke will turn 100 in December.
“I’m a ham,” he said. “I love it. I get a jolt of energy from an audience.”
According to the outlet, “The Odd Couple” was first introduced as a Broadway play in 1965. A movie followed in 1968 starring Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau. A TV series, developed by Garry Marshall, premiered in 1970 and ran for five seasons. It starred Jack Klugman and Tony Randall.
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The story follows Felix, a neat freak, who moves in with his messy best friend Oscar in a New York City apartment following his divorce. It’s there where their friendship is put to the test.
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Van Dyke had already made his mark headlining “The Dick Van Dyke Show” when he was cast alongside Julie Andrews in 1964’s “Mary Poppins.” His sitcom, where he played a comedy writer named Rob Petrie, ran from 1961 to 1966. He described how Andrews, 89, was “as sweet as she could be and so patient with me” as he struggled with the singing aspects of his role.
“I’m not a real singer, so I tend to be under, fighting to get up there and sing on top of the note,” he told the outlet. “Just took me forever in the recording. But [Andrews] was just as patient as could be and kept helping me, saying, ‘Think high. Think up there.’ And it turned out great.”
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“She was wonderful,” he gushed. “We had a wonderful time together.”
In December 2024, Van Dyke opened up about his life while appearing in a new music video for Coldplay’s “All My Love.” The song wasn’t initially written about Van Dyke, but the music video was a look back on his incredible career.
Filmed at the legendary actor’s Malibu home, the video features footage of Van Dyke’s many accolades and awards, sweet clips of him and his extended family, and emotional moments of reflection.
“I’m acutely aware that I could go any day now, but I don’t know why. It doesn’t concern me. I’m not afraid of it,” Van Dyke said in the video. “I have that feeling, totally against anything intellectual, that I’m going to be alright.”
“I think I’m one of those lucky people who got to do for a living what I would have done anyway,” he added. “When you think how lucky I am — I got to do what I do, play and act silly.”
