Hollywood legend Dick Van Dyke — best known for iconic films like Mary Poppins, Night at the Museum and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang — turned 98 in December 2023.
Since the early days of his career, the actor has always managed to charm moviegoers with his wit, humor and charismatic smile — but it's not just fans who are captivated by the star. He's been lucky to have wife Arlene Silver at his side for almost two decades.
Dick and Arlene's love story dates back to 2006, when they met while both attending that year's SAG Awards ceremony. At the time, Arlene was working as a makeup artist and Dick was attending the event as a guest. The two were eventually introduced, but it took Arlene some time to put the pieces together that she was speaking with the Dick Van Dyke.
"I knew him, I just didn't know how I knew him," she told People of their first encounter back in 2012. "I like that I knew him as a man before I knew him as a performer." Despite Arlene's unfamiliarity with Dick's work — not to mention their 46-year age difference — the two hit it off and they began working together.
While the now-married duo's relationship eventually turned romantic, it initially started out as strictly professional, as Dick was in a long-term romance with his partner of over three decades, Michelle Triola (Dick was previously married to Margie Willett for almost four decades before they divorced in 1984). But when Michelle died from cancer in 2009, Arlene became a shoulder to lean on for Dick while he grieved the loss of his partner.
"Arlene would come by after work and bring me food," he told People. "She was such a support, I fell in love."
After two years of dating, Arlene moved into Dick's Malibu home in 2011. The two married in an intimate ceremony on February 29, 2012. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the bride decided to break tradition by wearing a fuchsia wedding gown.
Dick's publicist Bob Palmer later confirmed the marriage to ABC News, where he iterated how much Arlene's presence played a role in his client's happiness. "It's a really nice relationship, most people like [Arlene] a lot," he said at the time. "Despite their obvious age difference, Dick has never been happier. She brings a lot of light into his life."
Throughout the couple's 12-year marriage, Dick and Arlene haven't shied away from the spotlight, and have been known to frequent Hollywood events. When Dick was honored at the 2021 Kennedy Center Honors, Arlene was right by his side, just as she was when he appeared in 2018's Mary Poppins Returns. They also have a mutual love of singing, which Dick revealed when he appeared on The Masked Singer season 9, performing Frank Sinatra's "When You're Smiling" on her suggestion.
"They wanted me to do something current and I know nothing from rock," Dick told People in February 2023 about his surprise appearance. "So we picked out one which typifies me. [Arlene's] the one that came up with it and I liked the song, too."
So, after almost two decades of being together, what's Dick and Arlene's secret to a long-term relationship? Well, according to the actor, it stems from having someone who is easily adaptable to all the things in his life.
"We share an attitude," he told Closer in March 2022. "She can go with the flow. She loves to sing and dance, which we do almost every day. She’s just delightful."
Arlene is equally smitten with her husband, and she credits him for giving her confidence in doing anything she sets her heart out to do.
"He makes me feel like I can do anything," she told The Huffington Post in 2013. "He's my biggest fan. He just believes in me ... He is a lot of fun. He's not immature in a bad way. He's immature in a good way with the wonder of a child. He's just fun, he's open minded. He's not stuck in his ways at all. We're both like children. We feel like we're both having a second childhood."
As the entertainment and news editorial assistant for Good Housekeeping, Adrianna (she/her) writes about everything TV, movies, music and pop culture. She graduated from Yeshiva University with a B.A. in journalism and a minor in business management. She covers shows like The Rookie, 9-1-1 and Grey's Anatomy, though when she’s not watching the latest show on Netflix, she’s taking martial arts or drinking way too much coffee.
