Dick Van Dyke Reflects On His Soap Opera Role On 'Days Of Our Lives'

Dec 26, 2023 by apost team

Actor Dick Van Dyke has been a long-standing industry treasure since he first graced our screens in the 1950s. Memorably, he starred in the original 1961 production of "Bye Bye Birdie," earning a Tony Award. Van Dyke also starred in his series, "The Dick Van Dyke Show," which ran throughout the early '60s, making the actor a television staple in households across the country. 

Audiences would later see Van Dyke perform in such classics as "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang" and "Mary Poppins," two roles that endeared him to a generation of children. 

Van Dyke's career would go on to span a staggering seven decades, with the seasoned actor continuing to work well into his golden years. Over time, this dedication to his craft earned Van Dyke countless awards, including five Primetime Emmy Awards, one Tony Award and a Grammy Award. Additionally, Van Dyke was inducted into the Television Hall of Fame in 1995 and was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1993. 

In 2013, Van Dyke received the Screen Actor Guild's highest honor, the Lifetime Achievement Award. He was also awarded the illustrious Kennedy Center Honors in 2021. 

His love for acting started when he was younger. Initially, he wanted to have a career in ministry, but after he took a drama class when he was still in school, acting became his love, so he went on to pursue it later in life.

As a performer, Van Dyke is known for his physical comedic acting abilities, having been described as elastic-limbed with impeccable timing.

In 2023, the actor returned to acting and worked on a soap opera for the first time in his decades-long career; read below how he felt about playing the character.

It appeared that Dick Van Dyke won't be closing the curtains anytime soon. In a previous interview in 2021, he told Al Roker on Today that he doesn't see himself leaving the entertainment industry, as he explained, "I don't think I'll ever retire, unless they made me… It's too much fun! It's such a good life."

In 2023, Dick Van Dyke, who was 97 years old at the time, continued to work even though he was nearing the age of 100. Fans were surprised when it was revealed on the television program "The Masked Singer" that he was the character of Gnome, which made him the oldest participant ever on the show.

In February of that year, he spoke with Yahoo! Entertainment, as reported by Today, to reveal where he got his youthful energy as he answered, "Genes, I guess, for one thing."

In addition, one of the best things that kept him going through life was his wife, Arlene Silver, as he considered her to be someone who made him feel young at heart.

"Having a beautiful young wife half my age to take care of me — that works!... My positive attitude, I get that from my wife," he said in the conversation. 

In addition to his positive outlook in life, he also worked on his physical appearance and took care of his health as he revealed that he goes to the gym at least three times a week and works out.

His stint on "The Masked Singer" was not the only one he worked on in 2023, as he also surprised fans when he announced that he would make his first-ever appearance in a soap opera on the show "Days of Our Lives."

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In an interview with Access Hollywood in April 2023, the actor explained that he was able to get the role of a mysterious old man on "Days of Our Lives" when a conversation between him and another actor, Drake Hogestyn, as they go to the same gym together.

"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!" he explained, as reported by Today. 

Even though he had been working for a very long time, Van Dyke still encountered problems on his first-ever soap opera project because his role was different from the ones that he played in the past.

"I have played old men before, but comedy old men… First time I've ever just played my 97-year-old self," he explained.

Before he started filming his episodes at the time, the actor did his "homework" and watched the program in order to see how the characters, who had been working on the show for over 20 years, do their part.

"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 this thing of music, and we've said something exciting," he said.

In the fall of 2023, his shows finally aired, and he played the character of a man named Timothy Robicheaux. He only appeared in four episodes as a guest star, not one of the main characters.

The last episode he was a part of aired on Sept. 14, 2023.

What do you think of Dick Van Dyke's ever-flourishing career? Does his story inspire you to continue doing what you love regardless of age? Let us know your thoughts, and make sure to pass this on to your friends and family.