Dick Van Dyke Net Worth (Money & Salary)

What Is Dick Van Dyke’s Net Worth?

With a net worth of $50 million, Dick Van Dyke stands out as a legendary actor, comedian, director, and producer. He accumulated this wealth through various successful film, musical, TV sitcom, and drama roles, in addition to his career as a director and producer. His most memorable performances are found in classic musical films such as “Bye Bye Birdie” (1963), “Mary Poppins” (1964), and “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang” (1968).

Beginning his career as a dancer on Broadway during the 1940s, Van Dyke made his film debut in 1949. He quickly became known for his leading roles in several hit comedies, with his portrayal of Bert in “Mary Poppins” catapulting him to international fame, earning him an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor.

His television career was equally impressive, highlighted by his role in “The Dick Van Dyke Show” from 1961 to 1966, which received critical acclaim and won numerous accolades, including five Emmy Awards. Additionally, he appeared in other sitcoms such as “The New Dick Van Dyke Show” (1971-1974) and “Diagnosis Murder” (1993-2001).

Beyond acting, Van Dyke is also an accomplished singer and dancer, having released multiple albums and starred in various Broadway musicals. Additionally, he has a talent for ventriloquism and has entertained audiences with his dummy, Mortimer Snerd, for many years.

Some other significant accomplishments in Van Dyke’s illustrious career include:

• Recognition with five Emmy Awards, three Golden Globe Awards, and a Tony Award.
• Receiving the Kennedy Center Honor in 2004.
• Induction into the Television Hall of Fame in 1996.
• Awarded the National Medal of Arts in 2007.

Early Life

Born on December 13, 1925, in West Plains, Missouri, Richard Wayne Van Dyke, widely known as Dick Van Dyke, was raised by his mother Hazel Victoria (née McCord), a stenographer, and his father Loren Wayne “Cookie” Van Dyke, a salesman. He grew up in Danville, Illinois, alongside his younger brother, Jerry Van Dyke, who pursued a career in acting as well.

In 1944, during his senior year of high school, Dick left school with aspirations of joining the United States Army Air Forces, aiming to train as a pilot in World War II. Despite facing multiple rejections due to being underweight, he ultimately succeeded in enlisting as a radio announcer and later joined the Special Services to entertain troops.

Career

In the late 1940s, Van Dyke’s journey began as a radio DJ in his hometown. He teamed up with comedian Phil Erickson in a duo that toured the West Coast and even made appearances on a local television show, “The Merry Mutes,” in Atlanta during the early 1950s. His early television credits include performances on “Chance of a Lifetime” in 1954, “The Phil Silvers Show” (1957-1958), “The Pat Boone Chevy Showroom” on ABC, and “The Polly Bergen Show” on NBC. He made his Broadway debut in 1959 with the production “The Girls Against the Boys” and later starred as the lead in “Bye Bye Birdie” from 1960 to 1961, for which he won the Tony Award for Best Featured Actor.

In 1961, the actor’s musical garnered four additional Tony Awards.

Starting in 1961, Van Dyke took the lead in his own CBS sitcom, “The Dick Van Dyke Show,” where he portrayed comedy writer Rob Petrie. The series aired until 1966, during which he was awarded three Emmy Awards for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series. Additionally, the series itself won four Emmy Awards for Outstanding Comedy Series. Joining him was an impressive cast, featuring notable actors like Rose Marie, Morey Amsterdam, Jerry Paris, Ann Morgan Guilbert, and Mary Tyler Moore. Following this, Van Dyke embarked on a different sitcom entitled “The New Dick Van Dyke Show,” which ran from 1971 to 1974. Although this show did not achieve the same level of success as his first, he still secured a Golden Globe nomination for his performance. The third show named after him, “Van Dyke and Company,” was a brief sketch comedy series that included Andy Kaufman and Super Save Osborne, lasting just three months but still winning an Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy-Variety Series.

Besides his television appearances, Van Dyke also had a remarkably successful career in film. His debut film role came in 1963, featuring in an adaptation of the popular musical “Bye Bye Birdie,” which he had previously starred in on Broadway. He then appeared in what is now regarded as a classic movie, Walt Disney’s “Mary Poppins” (1964), where he played Bert, a character known for his cockney accent. Van Dyke’s attempt at the accent is infamously considered one of the worst in film history. Throughout the remainder of the 1960s, he acted in several films that largely underperformed at the box office, with the notable exception of the musical “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang” (1968). In fact, his film roles had an impact on his television work; after his role in the film “Dick Tracy” (1990) as D.A. Fletcher, he was approached to portray Dr. Mark Sloan in an episode of “Jake and the Fatman.” This eventually led to his own television series featuring the Sloan character, “Diagnosis: Murder,” which aired from 1993 to 2001. Numerous family members, including son Barry Van Dyke and grandsons Shane Van Dyke and Carey Van Dyke, have guest-starred in various episodes of “Diagnosis: Murder.”

Other Work

Apart from being a renowned actor, Van Dyke is also an accomplished author. He has released five books: “Altar Egos” (1967), “Faith, Hope, and Hilarity”

(1970), “Those Funny Kids!” (1975), “My Lucky Life In and Out of Show Business” (2011), “Keep Moving: And Other Tips and Truths About Aging” (2015).

Personal Life

Dick Van Dyke married his first wife, Margerie Willett, in February 1948, during a live broadcast of the radio show “Bride and Groom.” Together, they had four children. After a lengthy separation, the couple divorced in 1984.

Subsequently, Dick shared his life with his longtime partner Michelle Triola Marvin until her death in 2009, having been together for over 30 years.

In 2012, Van Dyke tied the knot with makeup artist Arlene Silver, who is 46 years younger than him.

Van Dyke has been candid about his battle with alcoholism, undergoing treatment for his addiction in 1972. For the majority of his adult life, he was also a regular smoker but disclosed in 2013 that he had quit and was using Nicorette gum to manage cravings.

Malibu Mansion

In September 1986, Dick acquired a substantial property in Malibu, California, for $750,000. Currently, the estimated value of the property ranges between $7-8 million.