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Dick Van Dyke -

Richard Wayne Van Dyke was born on December 13, 1925, in West Plains, Missouri. It was while at school that he first entertained thoughts of following a career in show business.

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Early television appearances -

By the late 1940s, Van Dyke was working in radio as a DJ. Television appearances followed in the '50s, with the burgeoning actor landing roles in a variety of programs, including two episodes of 'The Phil Silvers Show' and 'The Pat Boone Chevy Showroom.'

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Stage debut -

In November 1959, Dick Van Dyke made his Broadway debut in 'The Girls Against the Boys.' His big break came the following year, playing the lead role of Albert Peterson in 'Bye Bye Birdie,' for which he won a Best Featured Actor Tony.

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'The Dick Van Dyke Show' -

Van Dyke achieved nationwide fame with his television sitcom 'The Dick Van Dyke Show,' which ran from 1961 to 1966. The actor portrayed Rob Petrie, chief writer of a fictional comedy show produced in Manhattan.

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Working with Mary Tyler Moore -

Created by Carl Reiner, the show costarred Mary Tyler Moore, Morey Amsterdam, Rose Marie, and Richard Deacon. The cast are seen rehearsing with Reiner in Los Angeles in 1963.

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Emmy Award winners -

'The Dick Van Dyke Show' was a huge hit. The series won an impressive 15 Emmy Awards, with Van Dyke and Tyler Moore collecting several between them.

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First marriage -

Van Dyke had married Margie Willett in 1948. They had four children: Christian, Barry, Stacy, and Carrie Beth. The couple divorced in 1984 after a long separation.

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'Bye Bye Birdie' (1963) -

Dick Van Dyke's movie debut was in 'Bye Bye Birdie,' with the actor reprising his role from the original Broadway stage production.

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'Mary Poppins' (1964) -

In 1964, Van Dyke starred alongside Julie Andrews in the Walt Disney-produced 'Mary Poppins.' His portrayal of Bert, a cockney jack-of-all-trades, remains one of his signature roles, despite the fact that his East End London accent was ridiculed by critics.

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'Mary Poppins' (1964) -

The film, which combines live-action and animation, saw Julie Andrews make her feature film debut. She went on to win the Academy Award for Best Actress. Released to critical and commercial success, the picture cemented the lifelong friendship enjoyed by the two actors.

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Grammy Award -

The 'Mary Poppins' soundtrack garnered the 1964 Grammy Award for Best Children's Album. Track listings include the all-time favorites 'A Spoonful of Sugar,' 'Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious,' and 'Chim Chim Cher-ee.'

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Hero worship -

In 1964, Dick Van Dyke met one of his idols, Stan Laurel, the surviving half of the celebrated Laurel and Hardy comedy duo. Van Dyke modeled much of his early screen mannerisms on the British-born comedian.

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'Lt. Robin Crusoe, U.S.N.' (1966) -

Scripted by Walt Disney, 'Lt. Robin Crusoe, U.S.N.' did well at the box office, likely because of Van Dyke's now worldwide popularity. He's pictured clowning around on set with Disney and Dinky the chimpanzee.

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Cementing his reputation -

On June 25, 1966, Van Dyke followed in the hands and and feet of countless Hollywood celebrities by immortalizing his handprints, footprints, and autograph in cement outside Grauman's Chinese Theatre.

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'Divorce American Style' (1967) -

For his next film, Van Dyke teamed up with Jason Robards and Debbie Reynolds. A satirical comedy, 1967's 'Divorce American Style' received mixed reviews, though it made money at the box office.

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Worst film accents -

Dick Van Dyke had been lambasted by critics for his less-than-convincing cockney accent in 'Mary Poppins.' In a 2003 poll by Empire magazine of the worst-ever accents in film, he came in second to Sean Connery in 'The Untouchables.' Coincidentally, the two had met back in 1967 at the premiere of the James Bond film 'You Only Live Twice.' Pictured is Queen Elizabeth II meeting the actors and Connery's then-wife, Diane Cilento.

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'Chitty Chitty Bang Bang' (1968) -

The following year, the actor gave another career-defining performance as Caractacus Potts in 'Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.' This time he chose to speak in his native accent, despite the film's English setting.

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'Chitty Chitty Bang Bang' (1968) -

Starring opposite Sally Ann Howes, Van Dyke was in his element in this musical-fantasy film, which features one of the most iconic cars in cinema history. The song 'Chitty Chitty Bang Bang' was nominated for an Academy Award.

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'The Comic' (1969) -

Among those who have influenced his career, Van Dyke cites silent movie star Buster Keaton and the aforementioned Stan Laurel, who with Oliver Hardy made a successful transition to sound. In 'The Comic,' he plays a silent-era film comedian whose story is told in flashbacks. Though it performed poorly at the box office, the picture is now regarded as a classic tale of the struggle many silent movie actors faced when dealing with the arrival of the "talkies."

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'Cold Turkey' (1971) -

Dick Van Dyke's first film of the new decade was the black comedy 'Cold Turkey.' An entire town is challenged to stop smoking for a month, hence the movie's title.

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Return to the small screen -

For much of the 1970s, Dick Van Dyke chose to return to television. The Golden Globe-nominated 'The New Dick Van Dyke Show' ran from 1971 to 1974. Meanwhile, he guest starred in a number of series, including an episode of 'Columbo' with Peter Falk called 'Negative Reaction.' In 1977, he was a regular performer on 'The Carol Burnett Show.' The same year saw Van Dyke win a Primetime Emmy Award for 'Van Dyke and Company.'

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Michelle Triola Marvin -

In 1976, the actor began his relationship with longtime companion Michelle Triola Marvin. While the pair never tied the knot, they remained together for 30 years, until her death in 2009.

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'Diagnosis: Murder' (1993–2001) -

Regular small screen appearances kept Dick Van Dyke busy throughout the 1980s, but he wasn't seen in the cinema until 1990 with a supporting role in Warren Beatty's 'Dick Tracy' as a character called Dr. Mark Sloan. His work on that film led directly to Van Dyke being cast in the TV series 'Diagnosis: Murder,' again as Dr. Sloan. The series ran from 1993 to 2001.

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Hollywood blooper -

There were red faces in Tinseltown on this day in 1993 when Dick Van Dyke unveiled his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. His surname was misspelled as one word—Vandyke. The star-makers apologized and quickly repaired the typo.

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Singing career -

The Grammy Award for his performance on the soundtrack to 'Mary Poppins' (an accolade also won by Julie Andrews) underlined Dick Van Dyke's singing talents. In fact, he's released nine albums throughout his career, most recently 2017's 'We're Going Caroling.' He's pictured in 1999 at the UPN and Academy of Television Arts & Sciences 14th Annual Hall of Fame ceremony holding his album that he made in 1962, 'Songs I Like.'

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Reunion with Mary Tyler Moore -

In 2003, Van Dyke was reunited with Mary Tyler Moore. They appeared together in the critically acclaimed television movie 'The Gin Game.'

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'Night at the Museum' (2006) -

Van Dyke's big screen career was reignited portraying security guard Cecil Fredericks in 'Night at the Museum.' He costarred alongside fellow comics Ben Stiller, Mickey Rooney, Robin Williams, and Ricky Gervais. He revised the role in 'Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian' (2009), and 'Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb' (2014).

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Second marriage -

At the same time as enjoying a big-screen comeback, Van Dyke found time to marry for the second time, to makeup artist Arlene Silver in 2012.

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Lifetime Achievement Award -

At nearly 90 years of age, Dick Van Dyke was deserving of his Lifetime Achievement Award, presented to the veteran entertainer during the 19th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards held in Los Angeles in January 2013.

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Kennedy Center Honors -

The nonagenarian, as sprightly as ever, was all smiles after receiving the prestigious Kennedy Center Honors, awarded to those in the performing arts for their lifetime of contributions to American culture. The ceremony took place at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. on May 21, 2021.

Sources: (USA Today) (Biography) (NPR) (BBC) (United Press International)

See also: How cinema's finest actors have aged

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