Actor and comedian Dick Van Dyke has spent more than 70 years in the entertainment industry. Recognized for his lanky frame and energetic antics, he has been the central figure in popular TV series and starred in beloved classic family films.
Van Dyke was born on December 13, 1925, in West Plains, Missouri, then he grew up in Danville, Illinois with his parents and younger brother Jerry (who also became an actor). Joining the high school drama club ignited his interest in entertaining when he started acting, singing, and dancing in school musicals. It was around this time that he booked his first professional job, working at a local radio station.
Once enlisted in the US Air Force in 1942, Van Dyke’s talent as an entertainer was put to use in the special services unit where he performed shows and hosted a radio program. After he was discharged in ’45, he briefly worked in advertising before joining the Merry Mutes, a lip synching act.
In the late ‘40s and early ‘50s, he worked in radio and on TV in Atlanta and New Orleans, then his onscreen debut came in ’57 in two episodes of The Phil Silvers Show. Two years later, Van Dyke got a part in the Broadway comedy review Girls Against the Boys. A year later he was cast in Bye Bye Birdie on Broadway, winning a Tony Award for the role.
Van Dyke’s biggest breakthrough came in ’61 when he became the lead on his self-titled series, The Dick Van Dyke Show. Drawing on his own life, the series followed the misadventures of TV writer Rob Petrie at work and at home with his wife Laura (played by Mary Tyler Moore). It wasn’t an immediate success, but the show developed a devoted following because of Van Dyke’s likeability and infectious wit. The series ran for five seasons through 1966, winning 15 Emmy Awards, three of which went to Van Dyke.
During the show, he starred in the film version of Bye Bye Birdie and was in the magically enchanting Mary Poppins opposite Julie Andrews. His next major film role was in another fantasy adventure, playing Caractacus Potts in Chitty, Chitty, Bang, Bang.
From ’71 to ’74 he starred in the family-focused sitcom, The New Dick Van Dyke Show. He was a regular on The Carol Burnett Show and in ’88 he starred in the short-lived The Van Dyke Show opposite his son Barry.
Taking on a more dramatic role, Van Dyke starred in the crime drama Diagnosis Murder, which started in ’93. He played Dr. Mark Sloan, a medical professional who aided the police in solving crimes.
In 2006, he started playing an amateur detective in the Murder 101 series of TV movies. That year he was a scene stealer in Night at the Museum, opposite comedic actors like Ben Stiller, Robin Williams, and Mickey Rooney.
Returning to theater, he appeared in Chita Rivera: The Dancer’s Life and then created Dick Van Dyke – A Step In Time: A Musical Memoir, based on his life. In 2011 he recounted his story for the book My Lucky Life In and Out of Show Business. Van Dyke was honored with a Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award in 2013, then five years later, he delighted fans by appearing in Mary Poppins Returns as Mr. Dawes Jr.
At age 96, he’s still acting with a planned role in the film Capture the Flag, about elderly veterans engaging in a round of the popular game.