In 2016, Dick Van Dyke talked to Oprah Winfrey Network’s Where Are They Now show about his “child bride.” In 2012, when Dick was 86-years-old, he married Arlene Silver Van Dyke, who is 46 years his junior.
Dick saw her at the green room at a SAG Awards dinner. He said he had never approached a strange woman in his life, but he had an instinct to go sit down and talk to her and introduce himself.
Then, she became his makeup artist on a show he was on and she would drop by his home and cook him dinner or bring him food. He said she took care of him, he joked, so he had to marry her. “I was totally dependent,” he teased.
As the two danced around their home in the video, Dick exclaimed that he could dance better than any 90-year-old he knows. He likes to do leg work exercises and uses treadmills to keep in shape so he can keep dancing with Arlene.
With @speakyteeth, taping an upcoming Disney wedding podcast @lurkyloo @disneywedcast pic.twitter.com/kpcVuLzLD3
— Dick Van Dyke (@iammrvandy) March 30, 2013
Arlene said that she recognized him when she met him, but honestly didn’t really know who he was. She had never seen Mary Poppins, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, or The Dick Van Dyke Show. He has since shown her the movies and she is a fan now.
Playing in the snow w/ @speakyteeth #Patronxocafeevents pic.twitter.com/9qWFoEpwgG
— Dick Van Dyke (@iammrvandy) December 22, 2013
Arlene and others including Dick’s brother thought that there was no way it could work out between them, but they said they have so much fun together and love spending time together. They talk all the time.
With @speakyteeth reading one of our anniversary cards pic.twitter.com/hxzbDb1Nq3
— Dick Van Dyke (@iammrvandy) March 2, 2013
Funny enough, Arlene is now a great-grandmother because Dick has great-grandkids. Dick talked about how he has a son who is 65-years-old and can’t believe he is old enough to have a son that age.
In the green room, where we met 7 years ago #SAGawards pic.twitter.com/OZC3u9Hg
— Dick Van Dyke (@iammrvandy) January 27, 2013
Watch the video of Dick and Arlene below. What do you think of Dick and Arlene being together and being married? If you liked this article, please share it!