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Dick Van Dyke Misses 2024 Emmys After Being Announced as a Presenter
Dick Van Dyke is missing a beloved family member.
The Mary Poppins actor revealed that while he and his wife Arlene Silver have safely escaped the raging wildfires in Malibu, their cat Bobo ran off in the chaos.
“Arlene and I have safely evacuated with our animals except for Bobo escaped as we were leaving,” he wrote on Facebook Dec. 10. “We’re praying he’ll be ok and that our community in Serra Retreat will survive these terrible fires.”
Missing his feline friend dearly, Dick posted an adorable video of Bobo later that day with the optimistic caption, “Hoping Bobo is ok.”
But thankfully, the 98-year-old has his wife of 12 years to help him through this difficult time. After all, they are each other’s biggest supporters—even when people question their 46-year age gap.
“I was fortunate that I didn't grow up,” the Chitty Chitty Bang Bang actor told Entertainment Tonight in July. “We were meant to be.”
In fact, he wasn’t even aware of their age gap when he was first enamored by her at the 2006 SAG Awards.
“I never approached a strange woman in my life,” Dick—who was previously married to Margie Willett and was in a three decade relationship with Michelle Triola Marvin until her death in 2009—recalled. “And she walked by and I jumped and I said, ‘Hi, I'm Dick.’ I had no idea she was half my age. Beautiful.”
And for Arlene, age was nothing but a number.
“I mean, the facts, our age difference,” the 53-year-old said. “But it's so irrelevant. I think when you see us together, it's like you don't think about it.”
“I've never met anyone like him,” she gushed. “He's always happy and just positive. Always singing, and I would never sing in public.”
(Photo by Amy Sussman/Getty Images)
But his infectious joy was enough to inspire her to embrace her playful side—even if that meant singing for all to hear.
“He got me to sing. He got me to sing up on a stage and sang in front of 1500 people for the first time,” she continued. “He's just the most joyful person. He influences everybody else to be more joyful, playful.”
And nearing his 99th birthday on Dec. 13, he has previously shared insight into his secrets to staying youthful.
"I've often tried to think, ‘what did I do to live this long,’ and I can't figure out,” he admitted. “The only thing is I've always exercised. We still go to the gym three days a week and work out. I think that must be the secret because I don't really watch my diet or anything. Stayed skinny. That helps.”
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