"I have played old men before, but comedy old men. This is the first time I have ever just played my 97-year-old self," Dyke said.
Dick Van Dyke maybe 97 years old but he's never been in a soap opera... until now! The veteran actor is all set to be a guest star on an upcoming episode of Days of Our Lives. It all happened when he met series star Drake Hogestyn who attended the same gym as him. "I said, 'Don't you have any parts for old people? Come on give me one.' And he took me seriously and got me a part!" Van Dyke told Access. Van Dyke — who recently competed on season 9 of The Masked Singer — is set to play "a mystery man with amnesia." It looks like he is looking forward to his role, telling the outlet, "I have played old men before, but comedy old men. [This is the] first time I have ever just played my 97-year-old self."
Van Dyke shared that he will make his soap opera debut in an upcoming episode of "Days of Our Lives" on @Peacock.https://t.co/sNKeNUoLmt
— TODAY (@TODAYshow) April 21, 2023
The Mary Poppins star said he watched some soap operas to prepare for his role. "Some of the people have been doing it for 20 years," Van Dyke said. "That's all the homework I can do, watch one and see how they do it. The other thing, you have to hold, 'duh duh,' there's the sting of music and we've said something exciting."
The actor was last seen on television in February when he was unmasked on the season 9 debut of The Masked Singer. Earlier this year, Van Dyke told PEOPLE that, unlike the rest of the world, he isn't a fan of watching himself on screen and even avoids reruns of his hit series like The Dick Van Dyke Show and The New Dick Van Dyke Show. "When we made those, [there] were three commercials in a half an hour. Now there's about six commercials in half an hour. So our old show is just cut to pieces," he explained. "I can't bear a look at it." Van Dyke's wife, Arlene Silver added, "When he's watching The Dick Van Dyke Show, he'll talk about it like, 'Look at him doing whatever.' "
On March 15, the actor crashed his vehicle into a gate in Malibu, California, and is doing better now. The Chitty Chitty Bang Bang actor credits his long life to his ability to keep moving and his wife! The two got married in 2012 and there's a 46-year gap between them. Van Dyke works out regularly and often posts videos of him working out on Instagram. The actor remains fit as a fiddle and is eager to become a centenarian. "I'm looking forward to 100," he said in an interview with CBS Mornings in 2021. The Tony, Emmy, Grammy, and SAG Award-winning star told Yahoo Entertainment earlier this year, that apart from genes his "beautiful young wife half my age to take care of me" is one of the secrets to staying so youthful.
References:
https://twitter.com/CBSMornings/status/1399704388030156805
https://people.com/tv/dick-van-dyke-still-cant-get-over-career-success-after-the-masked-singer/
https://www.accessonline.com/videos/dick-van-dyke-opens-up-about-joining-days-of-our-lives-exclusive
Cover Image Source: Getty Images | Photo by Mark Davis
