Dick Van Dyke is an actor and comedian whose career has spanned seven decades. The tall, lanky actor has made his name on the stage, in films, and on television. Van Dyke wanted to be a politician but he abounded his ambition after joining the high school’s drama club where he developed his singing and dancing skills. His classmates included actor Donald O’Connor and entertainer Bobby Short.
He worked a part-time job in a local radio station and also enlisted in the U.S. Air Force. Van Dyke started his professional career in the late-1940s with radio and television in Atlanta. He made his Broadway debut in a comedy show ‘Girls Against the Boys’. He made his debut into Hollywood with the role of Albert F. Peterson in the 1960 musical “Bye-Bye Birdie”, for which he won a Tony Award. The following year, he signed on to play comedy writer Rob Petrie on ‘The Dick Van Dyke Show’. In addition to his TV success in the 1960s, he appeared in many notable movies including the ‘Bye Bye Birdie (1963)’, ‘Mary Poppins (1964)’, and many more.
Van Dyke married his first wife, Margie Willett on a radio show called “Bride and Groom” in 1948. They divorced in 1948 after a long separation. The couple had four children. On February 29, 2012, Van Dyke married 40-year-old make-up artist Arlene Silver.
Here below are some stunning photos of young Dick Van Dyke from his early life and career.
