Dick Van Dyke is one of Hollywood’s most enduring performers, with a career that has spanned more than seven decades and continues as he approaches his 100th birthday. Born on December 13, 1925, in Missouri, Van Dyke began his career in entertainment as a radio DJ before touring nightclubs with a comedic mime act. His breakout moment came at age 34, when he landed the lead role of Albert Peterson in Bye Bye Birdie, earning a Tony Award and launching him into national fame.
He soon became a household name as the star of The Dick Van Dyke Show, which aired from 1961 to 1966 and co-starred Mary Tyler Moore as his wife. On the big screen, Van Dyke won over audiences in classic films such as Mary Poppins opposite Julie Andrews and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. Later in his career, he introduced himself to a new generation of viewers with Diagnosis: Murder, which ran on CBS from 1993 to 2001.
In his personal life, Van Dyke has been married twice — first to Margerie Willett from 1948 to 1984, with whom he shares four children, and later to Arlene Silver, whom he married in 2012. Learn more about his family and personal life below.
Christian is Dick and Margerie’s firstborn child, although his birthdate is not publicly known. He appeared alongside his famous father on The Dick Van Dyke Show before taking a more conventional career path. Christian became an attorney and also worked as a marketing director for Nike USA, according to Glamour Path.
Christian welcomed daughter Jessica Lee Van Dyke with his wife Carline A. Heller on January 1, 1974, in Phoenix, per the outlet. Sadly, she reportedly died at the age of 13 in 1987 due to a rare disease.
Born on July 31, 1951, in Atlanta, Barry grew up to follow in his father’s footsteps. After appearing alongside his brother Christian in The Dick Van Dyke Show as a child, Barry would reunite onscreen with dad Dick for Diagnosis: Murder in a lead role. He would go on to make appearances in such 1980s hits like Remington Steele, The Love Boat, Magnum, P.I., and The Dukes of Hazzard.
In a 1987 interview for Born Famous, Barry spoke about how his father let him choose his path in Hollywood. “I think he wanted me to find my own way, in my own time, and to be able to feel like I had done it on my own. So, I appreciate that.”
