Larry Mathews gets honest about his struggles after 'Dick Van Dyke Show'

Larry Mathews recently got candid and opened up about his struggles after playing a role in The Dick Van Dyke Show.

For those unaware, the 71-year-old American actor played the role of Richie Petrie in the American sitcom created and produced by Carl Reiner that initially aired on CBS from October 3, 1961, to June 1, 1966, with a total of 158 half-hour episodes spanning five seasons.

While conversing with PEOPLE magazine, Mathews revealed that he returned to school and then graduated from UCLA with a major in theater, as he wanted to build his career in the entertainment industry.

However, his life took a dark turn after he became completely aware of the fact that landing work in Hollywood was not an easy task.

The star of Being Mary Tyler Moore said, “I basically started from scratch,” as his experience on The Dick Van Dyke Show did not help him establish his career.

He remembered, “In my mind, here I am going like, ‘Well, I was on an Emmy Award-winning show. I have an Emmy certificate...I’m gonna get this part. I’ll go on and it’ll be easy.’”

It is pertinent to mention that Larry Mathews is now all set to celebrate his 40th wedding anniversary with his wife, Jennifer, after years of struggle.