Whatever Happened to Dick Van Dyke: 100 and Still Moving

The man who danced on the rooftops

Dick Van Dyke was born on December 13, 1925. His show, The Dick Van Dyke Show (1961–1966), made him family in millions of homes: he was Rob Petrie, the comedy writer who came home and tripped over the ottoman. In 1964 he was Bert, the chimney sweep in Mary Poppins, dancing with the penguins and singing "Chim Chim Cher-ee" among the rooftops. In 1968 he starred in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, the car that flew.

The awards tell the same story as our memory: a Tony in 1961, a Golden Globe, and six Emmy Awards across his career. But one fact weighs more than any trophy: for several generations he is not some distant actor. He is the man who walked into the living room every week, like family.

At 100: the gym, the stage, and a new book

Reports from his centenary all agree: he still goes to the gym about three times a week. Hello Magazine, which follows him closely, reported that his fans begged him to take it easy after seeing a video of his workout routine. He carried on anyway: he still appears on select stages and takes on projects.

In November 2025, about to turn 100, he published a book: 100 Rules for Living to 100 — one hundred rules for reaching 100, written by a declared optimist. One of his lines is already quoted everywhere: "I never wake up in a bad mood."

Does optimism lengthen life? Some studies link it to living longer, and it should be said plainly: an association is not a recipe, and it is certainly not a promise. What you can actually see in Van Dyke is not a trick — it is the habit of having plans. A book, a stage, a routine. Something that gets him out of bed in the morning.

In his own words: arthritis and moving differently

Van Dyke has spoken openly about his arthritis and about the changes in his mobility. It is not the body that danced on London rooftops, and nobody knows that better than he does. In the photo with this story, taken in 2024, he stands on a stage at 98, smiling, leaning on a cane.

Notice that detail: the cane did not take him off the stage. It changed his pace, not his schedule. There is a lesson in that, no doctor required: moving at 70, 80, or 100 does not look like moving at 40 — it adapts. And adapting is not giving up.

Exercise and balance after 65: the fall that can be avoided

Van Dyke's story is not just show business: it touches the pending conversation in millions of homes. According to the CDC, about 28% of adults 65 and older fall each year — more than 1 in 4 — and falls are the leading cause of injury in that age group. A fall at 70 or 80 is not just a stumble: it can be the fracture that takes someone's independence away.

So what does help, according to the CDC and its STEADI prevention program? Exercise that builds strength and balance is among the measures with evidence behind it. Add a medication review with your doctor — some medicines cause dizziness or drop your blood pressure when you stand up — an eye check, and removing hazards at home: loose rugs, cords across the floor, the staircase with no handrail.

Nobody can promise you that exercising will save you from a fall. That would be a lie. But the margin exists, and it is one of the few that depend on us. Van Dyke is not scientific proof of anything: he is the reminder, cane and smile included, that movement — adapted to each age — stays.