Dick Van Dyke's Met His Second Wife, Who Is 46 Years His Junior, at a SAG Event
May 21 2021, Published 1:15 p.m. ET
For more than 70 years, Dick Van Dyke has been entertaining members of the public with his wide-ranging performance skills. The 95-year-old actor began his career as a radio announcer in the '40s. He later performed comedy routines, and he hosted a short-lived talk show.
His big break arrived in the '60s; his sitcom, The Dick Van Dyke Show, premiered in 1961. During the show's five-year run, Dick was cast as Albert Peterson in the screen adaptation of Bye Bye Birdie.
The following year, in 1964, Dick starred in as Bert in the iconic Disney musical, Mary Poppins. The entertainer's other notable roles include Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (1968), Dick Tracy (1990), and the Night at the Museum franchise.
CBS is honoring his legacy and the longevity of his career with The Dick Van Dyke Show — Now in Living Color, which is a colorized re-airing of two top episodes of the sitcom.
His career accolades have been well-documented, but the actor has quite the love story with his wife.
The five time Emmy Award winner has been married to Arlene Silver for nearly a decade, and it was his second trip down the aisle. Read on to find out more about the Hollywood icon's personal life.
The 'Mary Poppins' actor was married to Margie Willett for nearly 40 years, and they had four kids.
Before the actor became a household name, he wed his first wife, Margie Willett, in 1948. Dick and Margie were one of about one thousand couples who swapped vows on the ABC radio series, Bride and Groom.
During their long union, the pair welcomed four children together: Christian, Barry, Stacy, and Carrie Beth. All four of their kids are married with children of their own.
Dick Van Dyke and his family circa 1965.
Dick's youngest son, Barry Van Dyke, is an actor who has frequently worked with his dad. Barry is also the father of actor/director Shane Van Dyke.
Like many other Hollywood couples, Margie and Dick's marriage did not survive. The pair got divorced in 1984 after a long period of separation, and Margie died in 2008.
During his separation from Margie, in the mid-'70s, Dick embarked on a relationship with Michelle Triola Marvin. The two stayed together until she died from lung cancer in 2009.
Just a few years after his longtime companion passed away, Dick got married for the second time.
Dick Van Dyke met his second wife, Arlene Silver, at a Hollywood event.
When the Chitty Chitty Bang Bang star attended a Screen Actors Guild event after Michelle's death, he met the next great love of his life: makeup artist Arlene Silver. He recounted their fated first interaction to The Washington Post in May of 2021.
"I was talking to Cate Blanchett. And I saw her [Arlene] go by and I said, 'Excuse me,' and went right over. And then I said, 'Hi, I'm Dick,'" he explained. "That's the only time in my life I ever introduced myself to a strange woman."
In 2012, the then-86-year-old married his then-40-year-old love. Though their substantial age gap has been criticized, Dick admitted that he never wanted to be without a partner.
"I can't be alone. I couldn’t be a bachelor if my life depended on it," he told The Washington Post. "I have to have a partner and I found the perfect one."
There may be several decades between Arlene and Dick, but the 95-year-old actor has shown no sign of slowing down. He keeps active with exercise on a stationary bike, and with sit-ups and a daily stretching routine. He's also continued taking acting jobs; he has a 2021 film, Capture the Flag, in pre-production.
'The Dick Van Dyke Show' lead has an impressive estimated net worth.
Since the entertainer has been working for seven decades, it shouldn't be a surprise to fans that he has a substantial net worth. According to Celebrity Net Worth, Dick's fortune is estimated to be around $50 million. It is important to note that Dick himself has not publicly discussed his wealth.
Dick made most of his fortune from his Hollywood endeavors, and he has some of it invested in real estate.
The actor lives in a one-story Malibu home that he purchased from actress Margot Kidder in 1986. He previously owned another residence in Encino, Calif., which was most recently sold in 2016 for a cool $6.5 million.
The Dick Van Dyke Show — Now In Living Color airs on Friday, May 21 at 8 p.m. ET on CBS.
