Dick Van Dyke

On February 12, 1948, Van Dyke married former Margerie Willett on the radio show ‘Bride and Groom.’ The couple had four kids, Christian, Stacy, Barry and Carrie Beth, before divorcing in 1984.

The actor then went on to live with Michelle Triola, his longtime companion of over 30 years. Triola died in 2009. On February 29, 2012, Dyke married make-up artist Arlene Silver.

He has seven grandchildren. Most of his children and grandchildren, including son Barry and grandsons Carey and Shane, have careers in TV.

Van Dyke was born as Richard Wayne Van Dyke on December 13, 1925, in Missouri. His father, Loren Wayne "Cookie" Van Dyke was a salesman while his mother Hazel Victoria worked as a stenographer. He is the brother of the late actor, comedian, and musician Jerry Van Dyke.

He studied at Danville High School alongside future entertainers Bobby Short and Donald O'Connor. One of his best friends was a cousin of the future actor Gene Hackman.

His mother's family was extremely religious and in his youth, Dyke thought of pursuing a career in ministry.

He left high school in 1944 to join the United States Air Force during the World War II. Although at first he was denied enlistment many times, he was eventually accepted in the army as a radio announcer. Eventually he was transferred to the continental United States as part of the Special Services and entertaining troops.

During the late 1940s, Dick Van Dyke served as a radio DJ in Danville. In 1947, he formed a comedy duo with pantomime performer Phil Erickson called "Eric and Van—the Merry Mutes”. The duo first toured the West Coast nightclub circuit and then brought their act to Atlanta in the early 1950s. Then they performed in a local TV show featuring original skits and music titled "The Merry Mutes.”

Dyke then started his career on television through a comedy program on WDSU-TV New Orleans Channel 6 (now NBC). His first appearance on the network TV was in ‘James' Chance of a Lifetime’ in 1954. During his early career, the actor also appeared on NBC's ‘The Polly Bergen Show’ and ABC's ‘The Pat Boone Chevy Showroom.’

In November 1959, he made his Broadway debut in the play ‘The Girls against the Boys’. From April 1960 to October 1961, he played the lead role of Albert Peterson in the play ‘Bye Bye Birdie’.

In 1961, Dyke was approached for the sitcom ‘The Dick Van Dyke Show’. He eventually agreed to appear in the drama as Rob Petrie alongside veteran actors Morey Amsterdam, Rose Marie, Richard Deacon, Ann Morgan Guilbert, and Carl Reiner.

He landed his first film role in 1963 when he played the lead role of Albert Peterson in the movie version of ‘Bye Bye Birdie’. Soon after this, Dyke was cast in two roles in Walt Disney's 'Mary Poppins’. He next had a role in the comedy-drama ‘The Comic’ which was written and directed by Carl Reiner.

In 1968, Dick Van Dyke appeared in the flick ‘Chitty Chitty Bang Bang’ alongside Sally Ann Howes. This British musical adventure fantasy flick directed by Ken Hughes was loosely based on Ian Fleming's 1964 novel titled novel ‘Chitty-Chitty-Bang-Bang: The Magical Car.’ Along with Dyke, the movie included popular artists like Heather Ripley, Adrian Hall, Lionel Jeffries, Robert Helpmann, James Robertson Justice and Gert Fröbe.

From 1993 to 2001, he appeared in the popular TV drama ‘Diagnosis: Murder.’ In this American comedy/crime/medical/mystery drama series, the actor played Dr. Mark Sloan, a medical doctor who solves crime cases with the help of his son Steve, a detective played by Dyke's real-life son Barry. The series began as a spin-off of the drama ‘Jake and the Fatman’ and then went on to debut as a weekly TV series on CBS.