Actor and comedian Dick Van Dyke, 99, humorously addressed his age during a charity event in Malibu, California, on Sunday alongside his wife, Arlene Silver. The duo attended the Vandy High Tea fundraiser at Vandy Manor, which supports The Van Dyke Endowment of the Arts and the Dick Van Dyke Museum.
Van Dyke, whose 100th birthday is set for December 13, quipped about nearing the milestone, saying, “That’s right. I’m not officially a hundred until December,” before adding, “Two months. Two months.” He later joked, “It’d be funny if I didn’t make it.”
The comedian reflected on his longevity, stating, “I brag sometimes about how I made it to a hundred, and the truth is, if I had known I was going to live this long, I would’ve taken better care of myself. And it is frustrating because I don’t know what I did right. Other than her [Silver], I didn’t do anything right.”
Van Dyke and Silver, 54, married in 2012 after meeting when she worked as a makeup artist. In May, Silver shared insights about the emotional weight of her husband’s upcoming 100th birthday, noting it brings both joy and loss. “That’s the curse of living to almost 100,” she said during a Q&A session.
During the event, Van Dyke mentioned plans with his late friend Ed Asner to revisit “The Odd Couple” before Asner’s death in 2021 at age 91. Silver remarked, “He’s outlived everybody,” but emphasized her husband’s enduring positivity.
Concerns about Van Dyke’s health arose in June when he canceled a comedy event appearance, though Silver clarified to the audience that he was having a bad day but remained in good spirits. “When you’re 99 1/2 years old, you have good days and bad days, and unfortunately, today is not a good day for him,” she said.
