Dick van Dyke is a legendary actor and comedian best known for his roles in Mary Poppins, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, and The Dick Van Dyke Show. [1] At 95 years of age, he’s still a Hollywood darling, and last week he reminded everyone why. Van Dyke was seen giving wads of cash to people in line for employment in Malibu.
Dick Van Dyke Gives Money to People Seeking Work
The movie star was running errands on March 30, which seemed to include withdrawing money from an ATM and visiting the Malibu Community Labour Exchange, an organization that helps unemployed people find work. According to its website, it’s “a community-created nonprofit organization that provides an organized and supportive place for the people of Malibu to hire and be hired, creating opportunities for the unemployed to build independence and self-sufficiency through work.”
He parked his car outside of the building and began to hand out money to people waiting in line. [2] The COVID-19 pandemic has put many people out of work, causing and worsening financial stress for families worldwide. Van Dyke’s charity couldn’t have been at a better time, although it’s unknown how much he ended up giving out. Keep in mind that Dick Van Dyke is at high risk of the virus due to his age. Nevertheless, he prioritized helping others during this difficult time.
Van Dyke is active and self-sufficient in his old age. Later that same day, he was seen shopping for his own groceries at CVS. [3] Despite all these years, he hasn’t lost his youthful charm and energy.
Always Singing and Dancing
Recently, a clip of Dick Van Dyke singing “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang” in a restaurant went viral on Twitter.
Similarly, he was found dancing to the music in a department store. This is no surprise since he explains that he’s “always dancing” despite being diagnosed with severe arthritis.
In his memoir, Keep Moving, he writes that his love of dance keeps him young. “If I am out shopping and hear music playing in a store, I start to dance. If I want to sing, I sing. I read books and get excited about new ideas.” He writes, “I enjoy myself. I don’t think about the way I am supposed to act at my age — or at any age.” [4]
Bringing Joy to Others
On the set of Mary Poppins Returns, Lin-Manuel Miranda explained how he was in awe in Van Dyke’s presence. “It was… extraordinary. When [Van Dyke] was on set, I didn’t ask him anything about Bert. I don’t think I could wrap my mind around the fact that I was in a Mary Poppins movie with Dick Van Dyke. So I pretty much talked to him about everything except Mary Poppins. I think if you ask anyone on our crew, the Dick Van Dyke days… the DVDD… were the most special days on set because he embodies the themes of the film. He still has all that childlike wonder, and he’s 93-years old!” [5]
This youthful and affable energy was explained further in an interview with The New York Times. Van Dyke was asked what he wants people to think when they hear his name. He responded, “That I made ’em laugh. That I lifted their worries a little bit. I’ve always tried to do family-oriented entertainment. I lost a lot of money over the years, turning down good parts because it didn’t fit my idea of the kind of entertainment I wanted to do. I mean, I’m not Mister Rogers. But I’ve always had a standard.” [6]
And Van Dyke has no plans of retiring anytime soon. He still performs and brings joy to others with his jazz band and quartet.
Keep Reading: Robin Williams Apparently Made ‘Every Company He Worked For Hire Homeless People And Put Them To Work’
Sources
- “Dick Van Dyke.” Britannica. Patricia Bauer.
- “Dick Van Dyke seen handing out cash to job seekers outside California nonprofit.” WKRN. April 2, 2021
- “Dick Van Dyke hands out cash to job seekers in Malibu amid Covid pandemic.” Independent. Isobel Lewis. April 1, 2021
- “The secret to aging is in the title of Dick Van Dyke’s memoir ‘Keep Moving’.” Washington Post. Jen Chaney. October 12, 2015
- “Lin-Manuel Miranda on working with Dick Van Dyke in ‘Mary Poppins Returns’.” VT. December 21, 2018
- “Dick Van Dyke on ‘Mary Poppins Returns’ and Dancing at 93.” The New York Times. Margy Rochlin. December 21, 2018
