Dick Van Dyke’s Wife Arlene Silver on Their 46-Year Age Gap

To Dick Van Dyke and his spouse, Arlene Silver, having a 46-year age hole between them will not be such an enormous deal. The couple, who bought married in 2012, opened up about what makes their relationship so particular after greater than a decade collectively.

“We had been mates for thus lengthy that once I instructed those that I do know, they had been glad about [our relationship], and I used to be scared,” Arlene, 52, instructed Entertainment Tonight in an interview revealed on Tuesday, July 16. “I imply, the info, our age distinction. Nevertheless it’s so irrelevant. I feel once you see us collectively, it’s such as you don’t give it some thought.”

Dick, 98, had a playful response to his spouse’s remark, saying, “I used to be lucky that I didn’t develop up.” Recognized for his vibrant persona and age-defying roles over the span of greater than seven a long time in Hollywood, Dick was thrilled to search out love when he least anticipated it.

The pair mentioned how they first met when Dick noticed Arlene, a make-up artist, on the SAG Awards in 2006.

“I by no means approached an odd girl in my life,” the Mary Poppins actor gushed. “And she or he walked by and I jumped and I mentioned, ‘Hello, I’m Dick.’ I had no thought she was half my age. Lovely.”

Dick celebrated his 98th birthday on December 13, 2023, with a particular CBS tribute, Dick Van Dyke 98 Years of Magic. Celebrities got here collectively to honor the legendary performer with an evening stuffed with particular appearances, singing, dancing and clips from the archives.

On his milestone birthday, the Chitty Chitty Bang Bang actor seemed again on his exceptional life and profession.

“You assume, ‘I don’t deserve this,’ however it’s troublesome to say how I felt,” he instructed People on the time. “I got here house, and I mentioned, ‘You realize one thing? It’s going to be a few days earlier than this truly sinks in that it occurred.’ I by no means anticipated that form of recognition. My entire life went earlier than me. I didn’t understand I had achieved so many issues whereas I used to be 75 years in present enterprise.”

Above all, his marriage to Arlene has introduced him pure pleasure, because the pair love spending time collectively at house.

“I simply went up and mentioned, ‘Hello, I’m Dick.’ I don’t know the way I bought the braveness,” he mentioned of assembly his associate. “Anyway, we ended up married. She sings like an angel. She dances, and we do an entire act collectively. We do duets and issues. She’s the perfect associate I ever bumped into. What a pleasure it’s.”

Dick is a father to four children, Christian, Barry, Carrie Beth and and Stacy, whom he welcomed with late ex-wife Margie Willett. The Broadway icon defined how fatherhood impressed him to work even more durable in his profession.

“I feel if I hadn’t had children, I might nonetheless be again in my hometown,” he instructed Closer. “I used to be like quite a lot of guys from the Despair who mentioned, ‘My children are going to have it higher than I did.’”