You’re as likely to see folksy and multitalented Dick Van Dyke at the local grocer as you are on the big screen, theater or on DVD. From “Mary Poppins” with local Julie Andrews, to the “Dick Van Dyke Show” with Mary Tyler Moore, Rose Marie and Morey Amsterdam, he has provided a fun-filled soundtrack to our lives.
On Jan. 27, the Screen Actors Guild will give the veteran entertainer its Achievement Award.
It will be a sweet treat, especially since Dick handed longtime friend and co-star Mary Tyler Moore the trophy last year.
The man we have come to know as a great talent, as well as a friend and neighbor, has a list of credits that is impressive indeed. SAG-AFTRA co-president Ken Howard calls Dick “the consummate entertainer, an enormously talented performer whose work has crossed nearly every major category.” To pull just a few examples from his repertoire, Howard didn’t have to reach far, saying, “from his career-changing turn in ‘Bye Bye Birdie’ and his deadpan humor in the Emmy-winning ‘Dick Van Dyke Show,’ to his unforgettable performance as Bert in ‘Mary Poppins,’ he sets a high bar for actors.”
The honor will celebrate Dick’s more than five impressive decades in show business. The 87-year-old actor has won five Emmys, including three for “The Dick Van Dyke Show.” Even without reruns, you can easily imagine Mary Tyler Moore in her Capri pants, ballet flats and neck scarf, along with Dick in his cozy Sy Devore golf cardigan romping around the living room at dinnertime.
Dick also scored a Tony Award for the ‘60s smash “Bye Bye Birdie” and a Grammy, along with co-star Julie Andrews, for the “Mary Poppins” soundtrack.
The veteran performer was born on Dec. 13, 1925 in West Plains, Mo. He went on to make his mark in film, especially in family favorites like “Mary Poppins” and “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.” The local is also a talented song and dance man who appears regularly with his band and on the stage. In recent years, he has starred as Cecil in “Night at the Museum” alongside Ben Stiller.
Dick has an impressive body of work, and whether you see him on screen or in town, he’s bound to make you smile. During his career he’s won many trophies and the hearts of millions.