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Dick DykeAmerican actor
Date of Birth: 13.12.1925
Country:  USA |
Content:
Biography of Dick Van Dyke
Dick Van Dyke is an American actor and television and film star who continues to work in the comedy genre despite his honorable age of 92. Although he does not have as many projects now as he did in the 1960s-1980s, his refusal to retire is highly respected. One of Dick's best acting works is the film "Mary Poppins" (1964), in which he portrayed two characters - the kind-hearted chimney sweep Bert and the cunning banker Mr. Dawes. In 2018, he will appear in the sequel to the cult film, "Mary Poppins Returns".
Early Life
Richard Wayne "Dick" Van Dyke was born on December 13, 1925, in West Plains, Missouri, USA, to salesman Loren Wayne "Cookie" Van Dyke and stenographer Hazel Victoria Van Dyke. On July 27, 1931, Loren and Hazel welcomed their second son, Jerry Van Dyke, who later followed in Richard's footsteps and became a comedy actor. Jerry passed away on January 5, 2018. Dick discovered his artistic talent at a young age. His maternal relatives were very religious, and initially, he considered a career in that field. However, his involvement in the theater club in high school pushed those thoughts aside, and Richard realized he wanted to be an actor. Religion continued to play an important role in Van Dyke's life even after he began his artistic pursuits. He attended Sunday School at the Presbyterian church, where he read theological texts. Van Dyke left school in 1944 without finishing his senior year. He intended to become a pilot in the U.S. Air Force, but all his attempts to join the aviation field were unsuccessful. As a result, Richard was accepted into military service as a radio announcer. He was later transferred to the Special Services unit, whose members performed artistic shows for soldiers participating in World War II.
Early Career
In the late 1940s, Dick worked as a radio host in Danville, Illinois. In 1947, he met pantomime master, Phil Erickson, and together they formed the duo "Eric and Van – the Merry Mutes", which gained popularity on the West Coast of the United States. In the early 1950s, in Atlanta, Georgia, Dick and Phil created the television show "The Merry Mutes", which didn't last long. From 1955 to 1959, Dick appeared in several TV shows such as "The Morning Show" (1955-1956, host), "CBS Cartoon Theater" (1956, host), "To Tell the Truth" (1956-1957, 5 episodes), "The Phil Silvers Show" (1957-1958, 2 episodes), "The Pat Boone Chevy Showroom" (1958), "Mothers Day" (1958-1959, host), and "Laugh Line" (1959, host).
Breakthrough and Successful Career
In 1959, Van Dyke made his Broadway debut in the play "The Girls Against the Boys". In 1960, he played a key role in the musical "Bye Bye Birdie", which toured from April 14, 1960, to October 7, 1961. For his role in this production, Van Dyke won a Tony Award for "Best Featured Actor in a Musical". In 1961, he began his own television show, "The Dick Van Dyke Show", which successfully aired until 1966. In this show, Dick played multiple characters, including himself. The "Dick Van Dyke Show" consists of 159 episodes. Throughout his career, this incredible comedian has appeared in numerous TV shows, series, and films including "Bye Bye Birdie" (1963, film adaptation of the musical), "That Funny Feeling" (1965), "Mary Poppins", "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang" (1968), "The New Dick Van Dyke Show" (1971-1974, 72 episodes), "Columbo" (1974, 1 episode), "The Morning After" (1974), "The Carol Burnett Show" (1977, 11 episodes), "American Playhouse" (1985, 1 episode), "Highway to Heaven" (1987, 1 episode), "Airwolf" (1987, 1 episode), "Golden Girls" (1989, 1 episode), "Diagnosis: Murder" (1993-2001, 178 episodes, lead role), "Sabrina the Teenage Witch" (2000, 1 episode), "Scrubs" (2003, 1 episode), "Night at the Museum" (2006), "Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day" (2014), "Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb" (2014), and "The Middle" (2015, 1 episode). "The Dick Van Dyke Show" earned the actor three Emmy Awards for "Best Actor in a Comedy Series" (1964), "Outstanding Continued Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role" (1965), and "Outstanding Continued Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Comedy Series" (1966). He was also nominated for the Emmy Awards in 1963 for the same show ("Outstanding Continued Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Comedy Series"), in 1974 for the TV movie "The Morning After" ("Outstanding Single Performance by a Supporting Actor in a Drama or Comedy Series"), and in 1990 for the series "Golden Girls" ("Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series"). The actor has also been nominated for two Golden Globe Awards - in 1965 for the film "Mary Poppins" ("Best Actor in a Motion Picture - Comedy or Musical") and in 1972 for the show "The New Dick Van Dyke Show" ("Best Actor - Television Series Musical or Comedy"). Van Dyke received the "Lifetime Achievement Award" at the 2000 Saturn Awards and the "Lifetime Achievement Award" from the Screen Actors Guild in 2013. Dick married his sweetheart, Margie Willett, on the live radio show "Bride and Groom" in 1948. Dick and Margie became parents to four children - Christian, Barry, Stacy, and Carrie Beth. They divorced in 1984, although they had been separated since the mid-1970s. From 1976 to 2009, Dick had a romantic relationship with Michelle Triola. The couple did not have children. Michelle passed away from lung cancer on October 30, 2009. In 2012, Van Dyke married a 40-year-old makeup artist, Arlene Silver, with whom he continues to live to this day. The actor has seven grandchildren. Dick's most recent roles were in 2015, but it seems that he is not in a hurry to end his career. On December 19, 2018, the premiere of the feature musical "Mary Poppins Returns" will take place, in which Van Dyke will portray Mr. Dawes Jr. - the son of the negative character Mr. Dawes, whom he played in the original 1964 film.
