Long ago we missed the 95th birthday of Dick Van Dyke who has been a complete entertainer for many of those years. A short while ago he said “I never wanted to be an actor and to this day I don’t. I can’t get a handle on it. An actor wants to become someone else. I am a song-and-dance man and I enjoy being myself, which is all I can do.” Born in West Plains, Missouri with ancestry going back to the Mayflower he grew up in Danville, Illinois where he was in the drama club and in his teens he was a radio announcer & DJ in Danville, also having a brief stint as a TV weatherman in New Orleans, Louisiana. He was launched to stardom with Bye Bye Birdie 1960 for which he won a Tony 1961 and went on to make the movie 1963. Has done a number of films over the years – Mary Poppins 1964, Fitzwilly 1967, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang 1968 and a number of successful TV series which won him four Emmy Awards – The Dick Van Dyke Show 1961-66 (Emmys 1964, 65 & 66) where his co-star was Mary Tyler Moore whom he helped get her own show, which was also very successful, then New Dick Van Dyke Show 1971-74, Van Dyke and Company (Emmy 1976) & The Van Dyke Show 1988, then from a guest appearance in a film the series emerged Diagnosis Murder 1992-2002, in which his children often guested & he also hosted many TV game shows. Known to modern audiences even at his great age as he was in Night at The Museum 2006 & Night at The Museum – Secret of the Tomb 2014 and recently reprised his original role in Mary Poppins Returns 2018, having said he has never retired but still plays with it all. He was awarded a SAG [Screen Actors Guild] Lifetime Achievement Award 2013 & awarded a BAFTA LA 2017 for excellence in TV & is also a Disney Legend. Married twice, first two sons born in Atlanta, Georgia where he lived for some years, having appeared onstage there in the 50s; has four children, seven grandchildren and one great-grandchild. Enjoys golf and sailing & became expert in computer animation. Drives a Jaguar, though a prized one burst into flames on the freeway in Calabasas, LA, when he was unhurt. 1968 departed Hollywood and bought a ranch in Arizona (near Phoenix). Built a strong friendship with his hero Stan Laurel & was regularly with him in Santa Monica. He also has a house in Malibu where he was close to Charles Bronson, who was a friend, as are most of Hollywood’s stars. We believe him more than worthy of a match in his honour and hope you accept – if the numbers or ratings do not suit, then please make contact.
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