There’s still something a little magical about watching Dick Van Dyke stroll onto a soap set as if it’s just another stage he hasn’t danced on yet. Days of our Lives fans felt that spark a couple of years ago when he turned up as John’s long-lost father, Timothy Robicheaux — a late-career surprise from a man whose résumé already reads like a tour through American entertainment. Recently, Van Dyke opened up about work, joy, regrets, and the strange gift of making it this far.

Key Takeaways

• Dick Van Dyke brought that same spark to DAYS that’s carried him through seven decades of work.
• At nearly 100, he still talks about acting like he’s just getting started.
• His optimism shaped everything — from Broadway to Mary Poppins.
• He laughs about passing on playing James Bond and winces about saying no to Cary Grant.
• What matters most is the joy he leaves behind, not the name attached to it.

A Lifetime of Longevity

Even at nearly 100, he doesn’t talk like someone thinking about winding down. Speaking with TODAY, the legendary comic actor jokes he’s “looking for work right now,” but the glint behind it doesn’t sound like a bit. Acting is still the hobby that turned into a life. His new book, 100 Rules for Living to 100, plays like a love letter to optimism — the thing he swears he was born with, the thing that sneaks into every role he ever touched.

He talked about those early days on Broadway as if they were still close enough to grab. Chita Rivera coaching him through dance steps he didn’t think he had in him; the equally legendary Carl Reiner spotting something in him that would become The Dick Van Dyke Show. He remembered the fear, the luck, the way joy snuck up behind him in every big swing. And then Mary Poppins, of course — “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious” still following him around like a friendly ghost. “To this day, (people) come up and start singing that song,” he eagerly remarked.

The Bond He Didn’t Take — and the Life He Built Anyway

What really landed was how openly he sits with the things he passed up. “They said, ‘Would you like to be Bond?’” he laughed, knowing full well his accent would’ve changed the franchise forever. “Have you heard my British accent?” was his hilarious response. He didn’t think his family-friendly audience would have approved of the move, either. But looking back, he regretted that the experience would have been amazing.

Then there was the movie he and Cary Grant could’ve made. There’s no bitterness in it, just a soft sigh over roads not taken. Grant had once barged into his dressing room to find a suit, and after they became friends, he offered Van Dyke a role in a movie together. Sadly, the iconic comic turned it down, lamenting, “I regret that every day of my life. I turned Cary Grant down. I don’t believe it.”

But regrets aside, Van Dyke never stopped moving. He sings with his wife, shuffles into a little soft-shoe when the mood hits, keeps tilting toward the bright side because it feels better than the alternative. And he’s never been worried about his own name sticking around; what matters to him is that somewhere out there, some kid is still belting “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious” like it’s brand-new.

And honestly? That’s a legacy you can still hear humming. (Find out what else is the key to Van Dyke’s longevity.)