Despite Dick Van Dyke's status as a household name, his wife admits that she hadn't actually seen any of his movies before they started dating.
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I guess that whole "Do you know who I am" line wouldn't work on Arlene Silver. She had no idea that the man behind 'Spoonful of Sugar' and 'Chim Chim Cher-ee' was chatting her up. According to Dick Van Dykes wife, she was oblivious to the man and his music.
Speaking to Ted Danson on his Where Everyone Knows Your Name podcast, they opened up about her ignorance. They had apparently first met behind the scenes at the Screen Actors Guild Awards in 2006. Somehow, Silver had managed to miss all of Dick Van Dyke's music and movies before becoming his wife.
"She didn't know who I was," he originally claims. But, she denies that. "No, that's not true. Of course, I know who he is. He's Dick Van Dyke!" However, just because she knew of Dick Van Dyke's fame, didn't mean his future wife had seen his movies.
She went on to explain that she "had never seen anything he was in." Van Dyke went on to say that "She'd never seen Mary Poppins." I think it's remarkable to be able to miss an icon of the musical scene like that. But, there we go.
Dick Van Dyke's Anonymity A Blessing In Disguise
For 99-year-old Dick Van Dyke, he's had a life filled with paparazzi and fame. To meet someone like his future wife must have been somewhat of a relief. Of course, she knew who he was, but she didn't associate him with his work in a way many others would. He spoke about this on the podcast.
"In a way, it was kind of good for me, because she wasn't over-impressed or anything, I was just a guy, you know?" Dick Van Dyke's fame didn't win him his wife in the end. As he said, "I was a hard sell."
Despite being almost half his age, they have had a long and loving marriage. Van Dyke explained that he was in love with her from the minute he met her. In part, he puts the success of their marriage down to the fact that he never really grew up. He has often spoken about his boyish energy, and live for all things childish.
