Dick Van Dyke: The Life of an Actor, Comedian, Writer, Singer, and Dancer

From his earliest experiences in Air Force radio to his third act as a crime-solving doctor on television and beyond, Dick Van Dyke has been delivering steady comedic and dramatic performances for more than seven decades.

An actor, producer and writer, Van Dyke has been a recognizable name for generations, thanks to the naming conventions of the early days of television, wherein a lead actor’s name would be used as the title of the series. At just 36, fresh from Bye Bye Birdie on Broadway, Dick Van Dyke carved out an enduring place in television with The Dick Van Dyke Show, alongside another soon-to-be small-screen legend with three names: Mary Tyler Moore.

By 1964, after being chosen by Walt Disney for a starring role in the film adaptation for Mary Poppins, Van Dyke danced his way into the hearts of Americans of all ages. Since those early roles as Albert J. Peterson, Rob Petrie and Bert the Chimney Sweep, Van Dyke has never gotten too far away from a microphone, camera or spotlight and his storied career continues.

As one of few remaining American actors still working in their 90s (alongside Angela Lansbury, Betty White, and Norman Lloyd), Van Dyke will seemingly never run out of roles. Nor is he running out of charm. Dick Van Dyke continues to delight audiences today. Recent appearances include a lively dance number during the climax of 2018’s Mary Poppins Returns, voicing a character in Showtime’s short-lived series Kidding in 2020 and accepting the tributes colleagues and acolytes bestowed on him as a recipient of the 43rd Kennedy Center Honors in 2021.