When the great performer Dick van Dyke was in his senior years, he met Arlene Silver and fell in love with the lady who was about half a century younger than him. The actor, 99, recently talked about Silver “marrying an old man,” and the couple revealed the keys to their 13-year marriage. In a profession where relationships are sometimes as fleeting as film premieres, Dick Van Dyke and Arlene Silver’s lasting love story is nothing short of epic. It all began at the SAG Awards in 2006, when Van Dyke, an 80-year-old Hollywood classic, met Silver, a lively and skilled makeup artist in her 30s.
Something snapped when he first set eyes on her. “I have never said hello to a random female in my life.” I was too scared,” he said to People in an honest interview. “But I was at a concert backstage, and she came by, and for some reason, I immediately got up and said, ‘Hi, I’m Dick.'” There’s something about her that grabbed me, and I was correct.”
At the time, the Mary Poppins actor was still seeing Michelle Triola Marvin, whom he met in 1976 while married to his first wife, Margie Willett. Van Dyke and Marvin never married, but they remained together until her death from lung cancer in 2009. Admitting that he was “writhing in guilt” for cheating on his previous wife, Van Dyke respected his connection with Marvin and invited Silver into his life, appointing her as his personal makeup artist. ‘It will never work.’ In their professional connection, the two were creating a solid foundation that gradually grew into a genuine romance.
In 2012, Van Dyke married the lady he called his “child bride.” IIn a 2016 interview with the Huffington Post, both individuals admitted to having questions about their 46-year age difference. “I thought…” “There’s no way that this could ever work,” Arlene stated ahead of her fourth wedding anniversary to the star of the 1968 film Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.
V Dyke said, “My brother just said, ‘It’ll never work.'” What are you talking about? What are you doing together? TThe truth is that we communicate constantly and do everything together.
‘Marrying an elderly man’
In a 2022 interview with Closer Weekly, Van Dyke revealed that he was concerned that the public might object to their age difference.
“I thought there would be an outcry about a gold digger marrying an old man,” he told the publication back then. “But no one ever took that attitude.”
“We share a mentality. She can go with the flow. She enjoys singing and dancing, which we do virtually every day.”. She’s simply delightful,” the actor remarked. “He is the most ideal human being. I’ve never met anybody so cheerful, sincere, and lovely.”. He’s just like a happy pill,” Silver said.
Vandy Camp
On April 20, the actor, who will be a centenarian in December, and 53-year-old Silver spoke with People at the “supercalifragilistic” Vandy Camp, which benefits the Los Angeles Emergency Preparedness Foundation (LAEPF) Community Brigade.
“We just enjoy being home. We like Malibu and consider it our favorite destination, particularly our home. So, the atmosphere is like, you’re in our house,” Silver said of the event, which is described on its Instagram page as “a quirky, vintage circus.” An experience unlike any other.” “We’re truly thankful. Our house was damaged by the Franklin fire, but in the grand scheme of things, we were quite fortunate,” she says of the terrible flames that swept through Malibu and the surrounding areas in December 2024.
“Eerie how well it works.”
Van Dyke and Silver also revealed the secrets of their happy, long-lasting love story.
“We get along so well,” said Van Dyke, who will shortly publish his autobiographical book, “100 Rules for Living to 100.”
“We just care about each other so much,” Silver said.
“Everybody said it wouldn’t work,” Van Dyke continued, before Silver replied, “Yeah.” I find it strange how well this method works. “People of the same age do not last.”
“He’s made me feel like I can do anything,” she said, as her adoring spouse added, “And you can.”
“Very supportive of each other,” Silver says”
‘Everybody Should Dance’
And if you’re wondering how the famous singer still looks so young at 99, he told NPR that he stays active and enjoys dancing.
“Everybody should dance,” he stated. “Everyone should sing. People say, ‘Well, I can’t sing.’ Everyone can sing. It doesn’t matter if you’re lousy at singing. I have a lovely, young wife who sings and dances, so there are a lot of [duets] going on in my home.”
This pair exemplifies how the heart knows no age, in a world where love tales often come with qualifiers. Their relationship, which is based on fun, camaraderie, and mutual appreciation, exemplifies how even the most unexpected couplings can produce the most wonderful stories.
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