Dick Van Dyke, who has been in the entertainment industry for a long, long time, recently opened up about the sadness of old age in an interview. He turns 100 this December. He spoke out about how age has diminished him “physically and socially,” ahead of the milestone birthday.
Here’s what the Mary Poppins star said.
Dick Van Dyke talks about old age
Dick Van Dyke, who turns 100 this year, spoke about the loneliness associated with living as long as he has. He claimed how he feels “diminished” (via Independent) both “physically and socially.” The actor and comedian further claimed that he was very lonely because all his friends were victims of age.
“Every single one of my dearest lifelong friends is gone, which feels just as lonely as it sounds,” Van Dyke said. He went on to credit much of his survival to his wife, Arlene, who is currently 54 years old. He said, “Without question, our ongoing romance is the most important reason I have not withered away into a hermetic grouch,” and added, “Arlene is half my age, and she makes me feel somewhere between two thirds and three quarters my age, which is still saying a lot.”
But despite his optimism, Van Dyke’s physical condition doesn’t allow him to travel or engage in many activities. “That kind of travel takes so much out of me that I have to say no,” he said, explaining how he has to turn down events and invitations often.
He further said that the current state of the world, which he has witnessed for nearly 10 decades, has left him further distraught. “I just lived through two Southern California wildfires in less than a month, right out my front door, including the worst one in history. Daily, I spiral into anguish over the mayhem and cruelty being inflicted on the entire world by those in power. So yes, I suppose at certain times of day I am the grumpy old man who yells at the TV.”
He emphasizes that the occasional sadness is not his essence and that he likes to stay happy and positive.
