Van Dyke opens up on marriage to Arlene and their 46-year age gap

Dick Van Dyke says his marriage to Arlene Silver works because their personalities outweigh their 46-year age difference.

Van Dyke's marriage secret comes ahead of his 100th birthday and the release of his new book, 100 Rules for Living to 100.

“We thought it might be [a problem] in some regard, to some extent, but it hasn't really,” Van Dyke told People.

“I'm infantile to start with. I think I'm about 13, so that's been a problem and she's quite mature for her age, so I don't think we haven't had any problem with age at all.”

The pair met at the 2006 SAG Awards, where Silver was working as a makeup artist. Van Dyke says he surprised himself by walking up to her and introducing himself. He hired her soon after, and the relationship grew from there. They married in 2012.

Since then, they’ve worked together onstage and onscreen, including a 2023 episode of Days of Our Lives, and they host an annual Halloween show at their home, Vandy Manor.

As he looks back on his life and extraordinary career, Van Dyke credits Silver with keeping him grounded and joyful. “She keeps me in the moment,” he said. “She keeps me happy every day. She’s a joy. She can get me singing or dancing, and she carries so much responsibility. I’m just lucky.”

Van Dyke shares four children with his late ex-wife, Margie Willett, and was previously in a relationship with Michelle Triola, who died from lung cancer in 2009.