![\"Dick](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/SEI_277505280-a6bf.jpg\")
\n\t\tDick Van Dyke has marked his 100th birthday (Picture: Andrew CABALLERO-REYNOLDS \/ AFP via Getty Images)<\/p>\n
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\n\t\tDick Van Dyke has marked his 100th birthday (Picture: Andrew CABALLERO-REYNOLDS \/ AFP via Getty Images)<\/p>\n
Dick Van Dyke<\/a> has reached an incredible milestone today as the living legend turns 100 years old.<\/p>\n The legendary actor hit triple figures on December 13, marking an impressive milestone that only 0.02% of the US<\/a> population ever gets to celebrate. <\/p>\n The actor may have lived for an entire century, but he has barely slowed down, having appeared in three films in 2018 at the age of 93, and even performing on stage in The Masked Singer<\/a> in 2024.<\/p>\n The acting legend began his acting career in 1955 as the host of The Morning Show on CBS and last appeared on TV in 2024 on The Jimmy Kimmel<\/a> Show. <\/p>\n His epic 70-year career has spanned generations, with his characters managing to resonate with every age bracket possible.<\/p>\n Here\u2019s how he\u2019s managed to charm and entertain us for so long.<\/p>\n \t\t The star is best known for his twinkly sense of humour and his comedic wit, which has made him endearingly likeable for decades.<\/p>\n But his most enduring performance is one from early in his career, when he played Bert, the chimney sweep, in Mary Poppins<\/a>.<\/p>\n Over 60 years on from the role, his horrific cockney accent is still lauded as one of the worst ever on screen<\/a>, and yet, the whole world still fell head over heels for this cheeky character \u2013 whose quotes are still as popular today as they\u2019ve ever been, and his character is firmly cemented in popular culture.<\/p>\n \t\t Dick himself has spoken about his pride in that role, revealing he\u2019s not bothered about being remembered, but will be happy to leave behind some beloved songs.<\/p>\n \u2018I don\u2019t think remembering me is that important. But it\u2019s the music, the music we leave behind. For as long as children are proudly belting out their new word, \u201cSupercalifragilisticexpialidocious,\u201d or singing and skipping along to \u201cChim Chim Cher-ee.\u201d<\/p>\n \u2018The most important part of me will always be alive.\u2019<\/p>\n Perhaps his charm is best highlighted by his humble response to the criticism he received for his bonkers cockney accent. While some actors may have been quick to defend themselves, the star has frequently taken the time to apologise with his trademark sense of humour.<\/p>\n \t\t The actor has previously revealed that at the time of filming, he was unaware how terrible his accent really was.<\/p>\n \u2018People in the UK love to rib me about my accent, I will never live it down,\u2019 he once said. \u2018They ask what part of England I was meant to be from, and I say it was a little shire in the north where most of the people were from Ohio.\u2019<\/p>\n In 2017, the actor was chosen by Bafta to receive the Britannia Award for excellence in television. He took the opportunity to apologise once again \u2013 over 50 years later \u2013 to the people of the UK for his awful English accent.<\/p>\n \u2018I appreciate this opportunity to apologise to the members of Bafta for inflicting on them the most atrocious cockney accent in the history of cinema,\u2019 he joked.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\tDick Van Dyke’s legendary career\t\t\t<\/p>\n The actor\/ comedian\/ host\/ singer\/ dancer has had a varied career to say the least.<\/p>\n He began primarily as a TV show host, working from 1955 until 1959 as a presenter on various shows. Throughout a large chunk of the 60s, he then starred in The Dick Van Dyke Show, where he played Rob Petrie, the head writer for the fictitious variety show, who found himself caught up in various comedic problems.<\/p>\n He made his film debut in the 1963 musical Bye Bye Birdie 1963, which came out just a year before his perhaps most beloved role.<\/p>\n In 1964, the actor charmed the world with his performance in Bert in the iconic film, Mary Poppins. <\/p>\n<\/p>\n In 1968, he starred in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, another iconic film featuring a child-snatching villain that has haunted the dreams of children for generations.<\/p>\n By the early 70s, he was back on telly with The New Dick Van Dyke Show, another comedy series, with Dick playing a local television talk show host.<\/p>\n The latter part of his career became defined by a beloved series, Diagnosis: Murder, which ran from 1993 until 2001, and saw Dick team up on screen with his real-life son Barry Van Dyke. He later appeared in the television film series Murder 101, also starring alongside his son, Barry.<\/p>\n \t\t \t\t In 2006, he also appeared in Night At The Museum as the elderly night security guard who becomes the villain of the film.<\/p>\n In 2018, he returned to the Mary Poppins universe in the Emily Blunt film, Mary Poppins Returns \u2013 not as Bert but as Mr Dawes Jr \u2013 a role he played in disguise in the original film, and was credited at Navckid Keyd (an anagram for Dick Van Dyke).<\/p>\n What has Dick Van Dyke said about turning 100<\/p>\n Speaking at the age of 99 ahead of his big day, Dick said he felt pretty great considering he\u2019s about to have been alive for an entire century.<\/p>\n He told People<\/a>: I feel really good for 100.<\/p>\n \u2018Sometimes I have more energy than others \u2014 but I never wake up in a bad mood.\u2019<\/p>\n He added that he feels \u2018like I\u2019m about 13,\u2019 that he believes a life full of hate leads to an early grave.<\/p>\n \u2018I\u2019ve always thought that anger is one thing that eats up a person\u2019s insides \u2014 and hate. And I never really was able to work up a feeling of hate. I think that is one of the chief things that kept me going,\u2019 he admitted.<\/p>\n \u2018There were things I didn\u2019t like, people I don\u2019t like and disapprove of. But I never really was able to do a white heat kind of hate. My father (Loren Van Dyke) was constantly upset by the state of things in his life, and it did take him at 73 years old.\u2019<\/p>\n \t\t Dick also revealed he was aided in living to 100<\/a> by ditching the booze and ciggies early on.<\/p>\n \u2018I smoked a lot, actually,\u2019 he confessed per People<\/a>. \u2018I think I was probably in my 50s before it dawned on me that I had an addictive personality. If I liked something, I was going to overdo it.\u2019<\/p>\n He added: \u2018So I got rid of booze and cigarettes and all that stuff, which is probably why I\u2019m still here.\u2019<\/p>\n He also admitted that he\u2019s no longer afraid of dying: \u2018When you expire, you expire.\u2019<\/p>\n \u2018I don\u2019t have any fear of dearth for some reason. I can\u2019t explain that, but I don\u2019t. I\u2019ve had such a wonderfully full and exciting life. That I can\u2019t complain.\u2019<\/p>\n Got a story?<\/p>\n If you\u2019ve got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk<\/a> entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@metro.co.uk, calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff<\/a> page \u2013 we\u2019d love to hear from you.<\/p>\n Arrow Arrow Arrow![\"LOS](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/SEI_207828342-55d0.jpg\")
\n\t\tThe actor won an Emmy in 2024 (Picture: Rodin Eckenroth\/Getty Images)
\nLegacy of Mary Poppins<\/p>\n![\"Mandatory](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/SEI_257278556-6788-e1763547504744.jpg\")
\n\t\tThe actor has been famous since the 1950s (Picture: Ronald Fortune\/ANL\/REX\/Shutterstock)<\/p>\n![\"Editorial](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/SEI_245228686-c5ba.jpg\")
\n\t\tMany will fondly remember him for his role in Mary Poppins in 1964 (Picture: Disney\/Kobal\/REX\/Shutterstock)<\/p>\n![\"Editorial](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/SEI_277633108-723d.jpg\")
\n\t\tDiagnosis Murder was a huge hit (Picture: Moviestore\/Shutterstock)<\/p>\n![\"Editorial](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/SEI_277632992-9795.jpg\")
\n\t\tDick appeared in 178 episodes and five TV films of the show (Picture: Moviestore\/Shutterstock)<\/p>\n![\"Editorial](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/SEI_277633115-bb7a.jpg\")
\n\t\tDick Van Dyke played Mr Dawes Jr in Mary Poppins Returns in 2018 (Picture: Walt Disney\/Kobal\/Shutterstock)<\/p>\n
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