Dick Van Dyke’s Wife Finally Opened Up About Their 46-Year Age Gap
Dick Van Dyke may be something of a national treasure. Yes, even despite that all-time awful accent in Mary Poppins. But eyebrows were still raised when he walked down the aisle in 2012 with a woman 46 years his junior! Luckily for all us nosey parkers, wife Arlene Silver has since addressed the elephant in the room.
Nothing new
Of course, age gaps are nothing new in the crazy world of Hollywood. There are 34 years between Richard Gere and his wife Alejandra Silva, for example. Likewise music industry hotshot David Foster and former American Idol finalist Katharine McPhee. And there’s a further four years separating Star Trek icon Patrick Stewart and his spouse Sunny Ozell.
Big difference
But Van Dyke and Silver’s age gap remains one of the biggest in showbiz. In fact, other than the 49-year difference between “American Pie” hitmaker Don McLean and Paris Dylan, it’s hard to think of another that surpasses it. As you’d expect, it’s a regular topic of conversation whenever the pair are interviewed, too.
Serendipity struck
So how exactly did the unlikely couple cross paths? Well, it turns out that there’s a little bit of serendipity to their story. In 2006 make-up artist Silver was out on a lunch date with some pals when she spotted Van Dyke’s name on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. And then after noticing that his most famous film, Mary Poppins, was screening at a nearby theater, the gang decided to buy tickets.
May to December romance
Somehow, Silver had never had the pleasure of watching Van Dyke singing “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious” with Julie Andrews before. But the viewing appeared to set the wheels in motion for their May to December romance. For just a few days later the future Mrs Van Dyke spotted him sitting at a catering table at the SAG Awards where she was working.
