Hollywood legend Dick Van Dyke has opened up about the future of his illustrious career, revealing why he’s refusing to retire—even at the ripe old age of 100—after admitting that he feels “frustrated” by his “diminished” health.
The 99-year-old, who will celebrate his 100th birthday on Dec. 13, sat down with the “Today” show’s Al Roker inside his $8 million Malibu, CA, mansion to discuss his ongoing career aspirations, admitting that, despite many telling him to slow down, he simply “doesn’t want” to walk away from the silver screen.
“I don’t want to. I mean, it’s my hobby. It’s my life. I love it. I’m looking for work right now,” he said of his acting career.
Van Dyke, who shares four kids with his ex-wife, Margie Willett, welcomed the “Today” cameras into his longtime Malibu dwelling, which he now shares with his second wife, Arlene Silver.
Although he teased that he is “looking for work,” Van Dyke is busy promoting his book, “100 Rules for Living to 100: An Optimist’s Guide to a Happy Life,” which hit shelves Nov. 18.
Van Dyke credited his long life to his positive outlook on things.
“I’ve decided people are born with a certain personality and a certain outlook, a certain perspective. I tend to look on the good side of things,” he said.
“The movies and the TV show kind of speak for me. I think it’s about an attitude toward life, to look at the bright side,” he added.
Looking back on his 75-year career, the A-lister noted that he is very lucky to have experienced as much as he has.
“I’m speaking from an advantageous position, I got to do for a living what I would have done for nothing. If I had been sitting at a desk somewhere in a cubicle, I might not be so happy,” he said.
And he’s not done just yet.
“I always wanted to play Scrooge. I could do it. It’s just November. I’ve still got time,” he joked.
Van Dyke noted that he has lost the majority of his friends, noting that he didn’t think he would even make it past 80, let alone to 100.
“Everybody’s gone. All those guys, all those comedians, all my old friends gone. I’ve outlived everybody and have lived to see some things,” he said.
“I didn’t expect to get past 80, at the most. The fun thing is, I don’t know what I did, right? I have no idea.”
The actor credited his age to his commitment to moving his body every day.
“I think keeping moving,” he said, noting that he always dances with his second wife, Arlene, 54, with whom he tied the knot in 2012.
“She keeps me young because we sing and we dance, and she just keeps me a teenager,” he said.
Van Dyke’s sit-down with the “Today” show comes just days after he opened up about the brutal realities of aging in an essay for The Times of London, admitting to readers that he is struggling with his “diminished” health.
“It’s frustrating to feel diminished in the world, physically and socially,” while admitting that he has had to turn down multiple work opportunities in places like New York and Chicago, because he simply isn’t well enough to travel.
The actor confessed that his home has become the center of his social life, revealing: “Almost all of my visiting with folks has to happen at my house.”
The iconic entertainer, who has won a host of awards during his lifetime, including a Tony and an Emmy, purchased his three-bedroom, two-bathroom Malibu abode in 1986 for the bargain price of $750,000. Current estimates value the property between $5 million and $8 million today.
When Van Dyke purchased his sprawling property, he gave the home, known as “Vandy Manor,” a multitude of upgrades, even installing a waterslide in the outdoor pool.
Set on a third of an acre, the 1973 build offered 2,226 square feet of living space. It appears Van Dyke has expanded the home to provide more room for himself and Silver.
In his endorsement video, the actor was seated in what appears to be one of the main living spaces. It has been decorated with memorabilia celebrating his illustrious career on screen, including a life-size statue of his iconic “Mary Poppins” character Bert.
A “Mary Poppins” poster is also seen hanging on the wall behind him.
Over the years, he has shared a few scant looks inside his home—as well as his spacious backyard—on Instagram.
One video, which was posted in April, showed the actor lounging in a garden chair, with a pool (and a very large waterslide) visible behind him. A few clips showed him working out in the backyard, or dancing and singing around the property with Silver.
Every year at Halloween, apparently Van Dyke’s favorite holiday, the storied estate is transformed into “Vandy Manor,” when neighbors and guests are treated to a private “spook-tacular” show, a tradition that’s been going on for decades. The haunted home even has its own Instagram account, where the ghoulish antics are documented and shared with fans.