Dick Van Dyke tap dances on whippersnapper competition to tie for oldest Creative Arts Emmy winner ever
Before the Primetime Emmys can enjoy their moment in the spotlight, the Creative Arts Emmys get two nights of statue awarding. On the first night of festivities last night, Saturday Night Live reminded the Academy that 50 years of making live television is worth a couple more Emmys. But it wasn’t just the half-a-century-old up-and-comers going home with gold. Dick Van Dyke 98 Years Of Magic reminded these whippersnappers that even a near-100-year-old song and dance man like Van Dyke can still win a trophy. After he became the oldest living Daytime Emmy winner ever earlier this year for a guest spot on Days Of Our Lives, the two-hour tribute to Van Dyke’s career earned the national treasure the distinction of tying Norman Lear for the record of oldest recipient of a Creative Arts Emmy. At age 98, Lear won for producing Live In Front of a Studio Audience: All in the Family And Good Times, which broke Lear's previous Creative Arts Emmy record of winning at age 97.
“I’ve been in the business 75 years. I can’t believe it, that I’m still here and performing,“ Van Dyke told reporters. ”I’m looking for work if anybody has!"
“I’m 99 next month,” Van Dyke said before breaking into a brief routine as if to declare his intentions of being around for the 100-year celebration.
Television legends were honored at an unsurprising clip at this year’s Emmys. Disney+ and Ron Howard’s Jim Henson documentary, Idea Man, took home four statues, including Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Special. Meanwhile, a newcomer animation series defeated legacy acts The Simpsons, Bob’s Burgers, and X-Men as Netflix’s Blue Eye Samurai took home the Outstanding Animated Program.
There were other upsets throughout the night. Alan Cumming put an end to RuPaul’s reign of Creative Arts terror by becoming the first new Best Reality Host in eight years. Cumming broke RuPaul’s record-setting Emmy run in bed, posting a series of charming bed selfies. Nothing stands between this man and a good night’s rest.
"A series of selfies taken at 3.38am just after waking up to find I had won an Emmy!" Cumming posted. "In my dream I was thinking I had set my alarm too early and I should really wake up and change it to an hour later, and of course the reason I was dreaming this is that my phone had been buzzing constantly for about twenty minutes with people trying to tell me I had won the Emmy for hosting The Traitors!
Other welcome surprises from the night included Angela Bassett picking up her first Emmy, Maya Rudolph picking up her sixth, and Pat Sajak taking home a final prize for Wheel Of Fortune—though he did not attend.
The second night of the Creative Arts Emmys is tonight, September 8.