Dick Van Dyke is one of the most beloved actors in Hollywood, and he’s approaching quite the milestone birthday!
The Mary Poppins actor will be celebrating his 100th birthday on December 13, and he is still showing no signs of retiring from showbusiness.
His last acting credit was in Days of Our Lives in 2023, and he has recently released a memoir, titled 100 Rules for Living to 100: An Optimist’s Guide to a Happy Life.
In the autobiographical book, Dick reflects on how he’s maintained a zest for life in his nearly 100 years around the sun.
Just days ahead of his 100th birthday, Dick also poignantly revealed that he has no fear of death as he looked back on his incredible life.
Scroll down for everything he has said about the secrets to his thriving longevity and his plans for his 100th birthday.
“I don’t fear death”
Ahead of his milestone 100th birthday, Dick Van Dyke confessed he doesn’t fear the end, as his has truly been a life well-lived.
In an interview with People published several days before his birthday on December 13, a pragmatic Dick shared that, “when you expire, you expire.”
“I don’t have any fear of death for some reason. I can’t explain that but I don’t. I’ve had such a wonderfully full and exciting life that I can’t complain.”
Dick, who entertained millions with his iconic roles in Mary Poppins, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and his eponymous TV sitcom, added that he was feeling really good as he neared
his century, and that he never wakes up in a bad mood. In fact, he says he feels “about 13” and is still regularly hitting the gym!
“Sometimes I have more energy than others,” he said.
Dick says he’s not sure what he’s done right to have made it to triple digits, but knows that “anger is one thing that eats up a person’s insides – and hate”.
“I never really was able to work up a feeling of hate,” he explained. “I think that is one of the chief things that kept me going.”
Dick also credits his second wife Arlene, 54, for keeping him happy “every day of his life”.
Julie’s sweet birthday gift
One of the first people who’ll be reaching out to Dick on his birthday will be his Mary Poppins co-star Julie Andrews.
“She’ll send a cheeky message for sure,” tells a source.
Julie, 90, and Dick have stayed firm friends since they worked together on the 1964 Disney film. “We hit it off from day one,” Julie said of Dick in her memoir.
He recently declared her “the lady of all time”.
Aww!
Exercise routine
The Chitty Chitty Bang Bang star has previously told how he has always exercised and still goes to the gym three times a week.
He spends an hour in the gym, where he incorporates weight machines, stretching, sit-ups, and yoga into his routine, as well as cardio activities.
The actor, who has worked in Hollywood for six decades, focuses on flexibility and often finishes his gym sessions by dancing or heading for a swim.
Known for his dancing feet, Dick remains light on his toes and often enjoys dancing from one gym machine to the next.
Diet
Dick’s daily diet consists of waking up early and eating blueberries every morning, along with his daily coffee.
“I’m up at 6 every morning. I wake up and have a cup of coffee and get over to the gym before I talk myself out of it,” he told the Chicago Tribune in 2019.
He is health-conscious and watches his sugar levels, but he enjoys his nightly treat of Häagen-Dazs vanilla ice cream with a generous topping of chocolate syrup.
“Good habits matter,” he shared. “Eating light and fresh. Staying away from fast and processed foods.”
Dick smoked and drank for a decade, but gave up after doctors showed him an X-ray of scars forming on his lungs.
“I stopped right there. Drinking, I had a problem with, but it went away,” he admitted. “It started to taste funny. It didn’t do anything for me. I wasn’t interested anymore.”
His long life
While he still has a zest for life, Dick has also candidly opened up about the more emotional aspects of getting older.
Taking to the stage for a Q&A at the Dick & Arlene Van Dyke Present Vandy Camp event in Malibu, California, Dick shared his sadness over remembering the friends he has lost over the years.
“That would’ve been such fun, and we lost it. I’ve lost a lot of friends,” Dick candidly shared.
“He’s outlived everybody,” his wife Arlene chimed in.
“That’s the curse of living almost to 100.”
Arlene said Dick has always stayed positive over the years despite losing many friends, including fellow actor Ed Asner.
When asked about the secret to his upbeat mindset, Dick replied: “Well, life’s been good to me. I can’t complain.”
Retirement
Despite soon approaching his 100th birthday, Dick recently said he has no plans to slow down or retire.
“I’m a ham. I love it. I get a jolt of energy from an audience,” he told PEOPLE earlier this year.
