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Topics: Celebrity, Film and TV
Lisa McLoughlin
Legendary actor Dick Van Dyke has said he’s just happy to be alive as he went to lunch in Los Angeles last week.
The 96-year-old, who sang, danced and acted his way into family film favourites such as 1964's Mary Poppins and 1968 classic Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, appeared to be in an upbeat mood as he was asked by well-wishers if he had plans for Father's Day.
However, he suggested it would be a low-key one, and jokingly added: "I'm just glad to still be here," before taking the wheel of his car, the Daily Mail reports.
The Bye, Bye Birdie actor is a grandfather of seven and shares four children with ex-wife Margerie Willet. He married Willet on the radio show Bride and Groom in 1948, but they split 36 years later.
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His then found love with his long-time partner Michelle Triola Marvin, who sadly passed away in 2009 after living together for 30 years.
Following Marvin’s death, Van Dyke married Arlene Silver, 50, in 2012.
Earlier this year, the star of the silver screen opened up about married life and how he found his own happily ever after with make-up artist Silver.
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Despite finding love for the third time, the 96-year-old explained the fear he felt around Silver being considered a 'gold digger' because of the age-gap between the pair.
The American triple threat performer and Silver first met at the Screen Actors Guild Awards in 2007. Silver was tasked with powdering the actor's nose before Van Dyke presented Mary Poppins co-star Julie Andrews with a lifetime achievement award, Closer reports.
Arlene reminisced: "He said, ‘Hi, I’m Dick.’ The first thing I asked him was, ‘Weren’t you in Mary Poppins?'
"We got along immediately as friends, so it didn’t feel like he was so much older than me. [...] He is the most perfect human being. I’ve never met anyone so happy, so genuine, so amazing. He’s just like a happy pill."
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The pair, who have a 46-year age gap, got married in February 2012 and celebrated their 10th wedding anniversary in February.
Despite reflecting on how the duo 'share an attitude' and that Silver 'can go with the flow' and 'loves to sing and dance' –something the pair do 'every day' – Van Dyke admitted that when they first met he was worried there would be backlash over their romance.
"I thought there would be an outcry about a gold digger marrying an old man, but no one ever took that attitude," he explained.
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