Dick Van Dyke admitted that he “neglected” his wife and their children for the sake of his career.
The 99-year-old entertainer, who has worked in film, television, radio and live theater, reflected on his success and its impact on his personal life in a new interview ahead of his 100th birthday.
“[My family]was probably ignored at some point because I was working so hard to get out of poverty, so to speak,” Van Dyke told People.
But he made sure to say he had not received “any complaints from anyone.”
The actor, comedian, and talk show host recalled early in his professional life the difficulty of balancing the demands of various jobs with being a husband and father.
“In the beginning, I was raising a family with no money, so it was all about raising money and getting a house,” the “Mary Poppins” and “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang” star explained.
“Finally, I was able to buy a house with the GI Bill. But I think the hardest part was doing game shows. I played nightclubs. I did everything. At one point, I was doing a disc jockey show at 5 a.m., and my partner and I were working nightclubs at night.”
At the time, Van Dyke was “getting about three or four hours of sleep between gigs” but was focused on “working hard to get my footing moving forward.”
Once that happened, he “enjoyed every moment.”
The media personality shared four children with his late ex-wife Margie Willett: sons Christian Van Dyke, 75, and Barry Van Dyke, 74, and daughters Stacy Van Dyke, 70, and Carrie Van Dyke, 64.
He married his current wife, 54-year-old Arlene Silver, in February 2012.
The “Dick Van Dyke Show” star turns 100 on Dec. 13. His new book, “100 Rules for Living to 100,” is available now at book retailers everywhere.
