It’s no secret that actor Dick Van Dyke is one of Hollywood’s longest-living legends, with a career that has spanned more than seven decades. As he prepares to celebrate his 100th birthday, the Emmy winner’s impact on film and television remains undeniable. He famously starred opposite Julie Andrews in Mary Poppins and became a television icon as the creator and star of The Dick Van Dyke Show, which aired from 1961 to 1966 before later returning as The New Dick Van Dyke Show in the early 1970s.
Outside of his work on screen, Van Dyke is often seen spending time with his wife, Arlene Silver, 54, whom he married later in life. Learn more about his marriage to Arlene, his first wife, and his personal life below.
Who Is Dick Van Dyke’s Wife?
The Missouri native has been romantically involved with Arlene since they first met at the SAG Awards in 2006, per PEOPLE. However, before she and Dick said their “I Do’s,” Arlene kept busy with her make-up artist career in Hollywood. In fact, that’s how she and the 99-year-old met and soon after that, Dick would hire Arlene for more events. Later, in 2013, she gushed about her man to the Huffington Post. “We take very good care of each other. But, I’m very aware that I have a national treasure on my hands,” she told the outlet at the time.
Not only is she a makeup artist, but Arlene is also gifted with a beautiful voice like her long-time love. Dick is such a fan of Arlene’s singing, that he often posts about it via his Instagram account, as he did on June 7, 2021. “Blue Skies by Arlene & Ella During the commercial breaks of the @kennedycenter broadcast, the Mrs. @bijoubox sang a little ditty with @firstladyofsong @spotify,” he captioned the sweet clip.
His Marriage With Arlene Silver
Arlene and Dick got married about six years after they met in 2012. The brunette beauty gushed about their wedding anniversary in a romantic post via Instagram on March 2, 2019. “Four score and seven years ago, the Mister @official_dick_van_dyke and I took a ‘leap’ of faith and jumped into a life together filled with laughter, music, dancing, kindness, positivity and joy. I love you so dang much, it hurts,” she captioned the adorable throwback photo.
The celebrity couple has also spoken about their 46-year-wide age gap, making light of the matter many times. The Diagnosis: Murder star told Oprah Winfrey that Arlene is his “child bride” and that he had “an instinct” about marrying her. “I never approached approached a strange woman in my life,” he said about meeting his wife, “and I just for some reason had an instinct.” The adorable pair hit the red carpet for 2018 premiere of Mary Poppins Returns and Arlene documented the moment on Instagram. “Disneybounding with my baby @official_dick_van_dyke at the Mary Poppins Returns premiere!! Can you spot all the Poppins touches?”, she captioned the photos.
Dick & His First Wife
Prior to his marriage with Arlene, Dick was married to Margie Willett. The former love birds tied the knot in 1948 and remained happily in love until they divorced 36 years later. Although not much is publicly known about Margie, Dick and her welcomed four kids together during their marriage. His adult children include: Barry, Christian, Carrie Beth, and Stacy. During a 2013 interview with PEOPLE, the talented singer quipped about how much his kids welcomed Arlene into the family. “My grandkids call her Grandma. My four kids just love her,” he said at the time. Dick and Arlene now reside at his home in Malibu and spend their free time dancing and singing together.
