Veteran actor Dick Van Dyke, celebrated for his iconic roles in Mary Poppins and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, has revealed his surprising secret to a long life as he approaches his 100th birthday: avoiding anger and hate.
The beloved star is due to reach the milestone age on December 13, and said he is not bothered about being remembered.
Speaking told US magazine People Van Dyke says he attributes his remarkable longevity to maintaining a consistently “brighter outlook.”
He explained: “I’ve always thought that anger is one thing that eats up a person’s insides – 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. There were things I didn’t like, people I don’t like and disapprove of. But I never really was able to do a white heat kind of hate.”
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Despite nearing a century, Van Dyke remains active, having released a new book, 100 Rules For Living To 100. “Each rule springs from a story in my own life, which I believe has stuck itself in my memory for a good reason – because it had some broader emotional significance for me,” he says of the book.
The actor who also starred in a Coldplay music video last year, expresses a youthful spirit, stating, “I feel really good for 100. Sometimes I have more energy than others – but I never wake up in a bad mood. I feel like I’m about 13.”
Reflecting on his legacy, the entertainer isn’t concerned with personal remembrance, but rather the enduring joy his work brings. “But it’s the music, the music we leave behind,” he mused. “For as long as children are proudly belting out their new word, Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious, or singing and skipping along to Chim Chim Cher-ee, the most important part of me will always be alive.”
Van Dyke’s illustrious career spans over seven decades, garnering him numerous accolades including four Emmys, a Tony for Bye Bye Birdie, and a Grammy for the Mary Poppins soundtrack. He was inducted into the Television Hall Of Fame in 1995 and holds a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. He summarises his journey as “a wonderfully full and exciting life, that I can’t complain.”