Dick Van Dyke “would’ve taken better care” of himself had he known he was going to live so long.
Dick Van Dyke became the oldest recipient ever of a Daytime Emmy Award on Friday
The 98-year-old actor was honoured with the Best Guest Performer in a Daytime Drama Series award for starring as Timothy Robicheaux on ‘Days of Our Lives’ at the Daytime Emmy Awards on Friday (07.06.24) and took his wife Arlene Silver up on stage with him to collect it.
He said: “I don’t believe this! I feel like a spy from nighttime television. I brought this lady up because she, by trouble and strife, is the love of my life, but because she was in the show — she played the cop who arrested me.
“She looks better than she did as that cop and I’m the oldest nominee in history. If I had known I was going to live this long I would’ve taken better care of myself. You guys are a real family and just took me in and treated me so nicely.”
The former ‘Diagnosis: Murder’ star also admitted that he never expected his career to “snowball into” a lifetime in showbusiness.
He said: “I’m 98 years old, can you believe it? This really tops off a lifetime of 80 years in the business,”
The star – who is best known for his roles in the classic films ‘Chitty Chitty Bang Bang’ and ‘Mary Poppins’ – has made history as the oldest actor to receive such an award and previously admitted that it was nice to be recognised for such a “dramatic role” for a change.
He told People: “He told People magazine: “This is a very different honour for me; I seldom get recognised for dramatic or straight acting – comedy and musicals are my specialty after all.
“I’m so honored and it will be a fun night celebrating with the entire daytime television community.”
