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Dick Van Dyke has given a brilliantly deadpan response to a question about his forthcoming 99th birthday.
The Mary Poppins star will turn 99 in December and reflected on this while out walking in Malibu, California.
Page Six has reported that, when the American star was asked how he was preparing for the forthcoming celebration, he replied: “Just praying that I make it.”
Earlier this year, Van Dyke became the joint oldest person to receive an Emmy alongside Norman Lear. The actor won the Outstanding Variety Special trophy at the Creative Arts Emmys for his 2023 birthday broadcast Dick Van Dyke 98 Years of Magic.
Following the victory, the actor reflected on what he hopes his legacy will be, telling reporters he wants to be remembered for “laughter”.
He said: “I can’t believe that I’m still here and performing.” Van Dyke then quipped: “I’m looking for work if anybody is asking.”
The actor advised that those hoping to break into acting “have to stick with it”, suggesting: “You’ll go through some hard times and many auditions, but you have to stay with it. Be patient, if you have the confidence in yourself.
“It’s very important to believe that you can do it. I don’t know how I did it, to tell you the truth.”
Van Dyke previously became the oldest recipient of a Daytime Emmy award in June when he was crowned best guest performer in a daytime drama series for his role in Days of Our Lives.
He became a household name in the United States when he starred in the sitcom The Dick Van Dyke Show from 1961 to 1966 and went on to appear in beloved movie musicals such as the 1964 adaptation of Mary Poppins, in which he played Cockney chimney sweep Bert, and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.
More recently he has starred in the Night at the Museum movies and also made a cameo in Mary Poppins Returns in 2018. Last year, he appeared on the US edition of The Masked Singer, surprising viewers and leaving the judges in tears when he was unmasked as Gnome.
As the winner of a Grammy, a Tony Award and multiple Emmys, Van Dyke would only need to win an Oscar to become one of the few performers to secure EGOT status.
