Dick Van Dyke and wife Arlene Silver are opening up about their relationship.
The 98-year-old Mary Poppins actor and the 52-year-old makeup artist met at the SAG Awards in 2006 and married in 2012.
In a new interview, Dick and Arlene shared some rare insight into their relationship and addressed their 46-year age gap.
Keep reading to find out more…“I never approached a strange woman in my life,” Dick told Entertainment Tonight. “And she walked by and I jumped and I said, ‘Hi, I’m Dick.’ I had no idea she was half my age. Beautiful.”
Since Arlene was a makeup artist, Dick used that as a reason to get to know her better.
“She had one card left, which I took and hired her,” Dick said.
Dick and Arlene first started off as friends, but as they spent more time together and bonded, things turned romantic.
“We were friends for so long that when I told people that I know, they were happy about [our relationship], and I was scared,” Arlene said. “I mean, the facts, our age difference. But it’s so irrelevant. I think when you see us together, it’s like you don’t think about it.”
Dick added, “I was fortunate that I didn’t grow up.”
“I’ve never met anyone like him. He’s always happy and just positive,” Arlene gushed. “Always singing, and I would never sing in public. He got me to sing. He got me to sing up on a stage and sang in front of 1,500 people for the first time. He’s just the most joyful person. He influences everybody else to be more joyful, playful.”
Even though he’s two years shy of 100, Dick credited exercise for keeping him sharp.
“I’ve often tried to think what did I do to live this long and I can’t figure out,” Dick explained. “The only thing is I’ve always exercised. We still go to the gym three days a week and work out. And I believe that’s the secret. Most people at 98 years old don’t really feel like working out and they seize up, you know?”
Dick and Arlene aren’t the only couple in Hollywood with a big age gap.
