Dick Van Dyke gushed about his love for his wife Arlene Silver, and explained that their 46-year age gap isn’t of concern to them at all.
Van Dyke recalled meeting Silver at the SAG Awards in 2006, and admitted he didn’t know she was much younger than he was when they first met, according to a recent interview with Entertainment Tonight published July 16.
He went on to say, “And she walked by and I jumped up and I said, ‘Hi, I’m Dick.’ I had no idea she was half my age. Beautiful.”
MALIBU, CA – APRIL 21: Actor Dick Van Dyke and wife, Arlene Silver photographed at home during a photo shoot on April 21, 2016 in Malibu, California. (Photo by Roxanne McCann/Getty Images)
The 98-year-old star admitted that he took a real chance when he approached Silver for the first time.
“I never approached a strange woman in my life,” he said.
Silver was a makeup artist at the time, and Van Dyke found a way to spark a relatable conversation despite their vast difference in age.
“She had one [business] card left, which I took and hired her,” he recalled, according to Entertainment Tonight.
Silver joined the conversation to clarify that their romance developed over time. She explained they began as friends, and that helped to bridge their age gap in a natural way.
“We were friends for so long that when I told people that I know, they were happy about [our relationship], and I was scared,” Silver said.
HOLLYWOOD, CA – NOVEMBER 09: Actor Dick Van Dyke (R) and his Wife Arlene Silver (L) attend the 50th Anniversary of “Mary Poppins” at AFI FEST 2013 at the TCL Chinese Theatre on November 9, 2013 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Paul Archuleta/FilmMagic/Getty Images)
“I mean, the facts, our age difference. But it’s so irrelevant. I think when you see us together, it’s like you don’t think about it,” she told Entertainment Tonight.
Van Dyke added humor to the interview by weighing in to say, “I was fortunate that I didn’t grow up.”
The couple gushed love for one another as they described how they felt about one another after 12 years of marriage.
“I’ve never met anyone like him,” she said.
“He’s always happy and just positive. Always singing, and I would never sing in public. He got me to sing. He got me to sing up on a stage and sang in front of 1,500 people for the first time,” Silver said.
“He’s just the most joyful person. He influences everybody else to be more joyful, playful,” she told Entertainment Tonight. (RELATED: 98-Year-Old Legendary Actor Dick Van Dyke Opens Up About Struggles With Alcoholism)
“We were meant to be,” Van Dyke said.
