It's not every day you get honoured with a Lifetime Achievement Award. Last year Dick Van Dyke - who has been working the Hollywood circuit since the 60s - stood on the Screen Actor's Guild awards stage to present Mary Tyler Moore with her personalised gong. This year, however, it was his turn to receive the 49th Lifetime Achievement Award. The 87 year old Mary Poppins and Night at the Museum star spoke to People magazine about his disbelief upon receiving the acknowledgement; he really wasn't expecting it: 'This was a surprise. People think of me as a song and dance entertainer. To be accepted by my peers as an actor is really a thrill.'
Accepting his award after a prolonged stint of rapturous applause, the actor best known for his hit comedy 'The Dick Van Dyke Show' said: "That does an old man a lot of good."
Addressing the audience he said: "the years have been full of surprises and a lot of fun." He also called this "the greatest generation of actors... you've all lifted the art to another place now... Aren't we lucky to have found a line of work that doesn't require growing up? I love that." Yes Dick, yiz are a lucky bunch indeed.
Chatting in the office this morning, for us there's one role that truly epitomises Van Dyke and that's got to be his turn opposite Julie Andrews in 1964's Mary Poppins which, way back when, picked up an Oscar for the song 'Chim Chim Cher-ee'. "I'm world-famous for my Cockney accent," joked Van Dyke in his acceptance speech, although he then admitted that Andrews said he never really managed to nail the cockney twang.
Not only was last night a special occasion for Van Dyke in that regard, it was also his seven year anniversary with his 41 year old wife Arlene who he first met at the SAG Awards back in 2006 where she was working as a make-up artist. Romantic, eh?
He said: 'There was something about her beautiful eyes.' Nawww. Bit of mush of a Monday morning.
