Dick Van Dyke has aged remarkably.
If all goes as planned, Dick Van Dyke will celebrate his 100th birthday on December 13, 2025—a remarkable milestone for the remarkable entertainer who has been wowing us since the original Mary Poppins film. Van Dyke has been in show business longer than most humans live, and as he nears a full century of life, he's sharing some reflections.
In an interview with People, Van Dyke said he feels "really good for 100," with no pain and no discomfort. He said people ask him what he did right, and he says, "Don't ask. I don't know." He said he's "rather lazy." However, he did put forth a theory about what may be at least partially responsible for his longevity.
Hard to imagine Dick Van Dyke being "lazy." Giphy
"I've always thought that anger is one thing that eats up a person's insides," he said. "And hate. I never really was able to work up a feeling of hate. You know, there are things I don't like, people I don't like and disapprove of, but I never really was able to do a white heat kind of hate."
He said his father was "a person who was constantly upset by the state of things in his life and everything." He died at 74 years old.
"I think that is one of the chief things that kept me going," Van Dyke said.
Can a lack of anger really give you a longer life?
While there are no surefire secrets to living to 100, there are some things we know can affect people's health in ways that might shorten their lives. One of those things is anger.
We all feel angry sometimes, of course, but excessive anger or unmanaged anger over time can have serious health consequences. In one 2024 study, researchers found that people who were asked to recount memories that made them angry (as opposed to anxious, sad, or emotionally neutral) had significant impairment in blood vessel dilation compared to the other groups.
"The researchers propose that repeated episodes of negative emotions like anger might have a cumulative effect on cardiovascular health," the researchers wrote. "Over time, ongoing anger might lead to permanent damage and increased risk for cardiovascular disease."
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What about the health effects of hate?
Hate is a bit harder of a feeling to pin down than anger as there's a wide range of what it means. Obviously, hate can lead to harm for people on the receiving end of it. But does hate hurt the hater, too?
"Little research has been done to analyze hate’s specific symptoms or physical effects," writes Laura Williams for EverydayHealth. "But hate often coincides with other strong emotions, like anger, humiliation, or powerlessness, all of which take a toll."
There is evidence that the opposite of anger and hate—positive emotions like joy and love, which are part of healthy relationships and community—can have a positive impact on our health. So while we can't say for certain that Dick Van Dyke's lack of anger and hate has led to his century-long life, we can logically deduce that the joy and love he is known for may have helped him maintain good health for this long.
Vad Dyke also told People that he's not afraid of death when it comes. "I don't have any fear of it for some reason," he said. "I can't explain that, but I don't. I've had such a wonderfully full and exciting life that I can't complain. It's almost like it's accidental. I was having the time of my life doing all this stuff and creating a legacy at the same time. What I've left in the way of children's entertainment and children's music, I believe that's my legacy."
And what a legacy it is. Van Dyke's wife, Arlene, has planned a big birthday celebration for him, which he says he's looking forward to as long as he feels up for it. We'll all be there celebrating with him in spirit.