As Hollywood icon Dick Van Dyke prepares to celebrate his 100th birthday, his extraordinary career and personal life, marked by enduring relationships and a headline-making modern marriage, come into fresh focus. The beloved star of Mary Poppins and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang has lived a life as colourful as any script, with a romantic history spanning over seven decades.
A Marriage Forged in Youth: Margie Willett
Dick Van Dyke's journey into married life began early. He was just 20 years old when he wed his first wife, Margie Willett, in 1948. The pair, who both hailed from Danville, Illinois, had known each other for years prior. Their union lasted for over 30 years and produced four children: Barry, Christian, Stacy, and Carrie.
However, the marriage faced significant strains. Van Dyke has openly discussed his struggles with alcoholism during this period, entering rehab to address it. In a tragic twist, when he completed treatment, Margie checked into the same clinic, revealing an addiction to antidepressants he had been unaware of. The actor later admitted that the Hollywood lifestyle never suited Margie, who was often overlooked at events and was even mistaken for his mother or sister.
The couple ultimately separated in the late 1970s after Van Dyke began an affair. They formally divorced in 1984 after a six-year separation. Margie Willett passed away in 2008 at the age of 81 following a diagnosis of pancreatic cancer.
A Lasting Love Born from Scandal: Michelle Triola
During the latter years of his first marriage, Van Dyke grew close to Michelle Triola, his agent's secretary. Their affair began around 1975, a period he has since described with "unbelievable guilt." By 1976, he had confessed to Margie and moved in with Michelle.
Despite the painful beginnings, their partnership proved to be a profound and lasting one. They remained together for over 30 years, though they never married. Triola was a notable figure in her own right, having been involved in a landmark "palimony" lawsuit against her former partner, actor Lee Marvin.
Van Dyke recalled Michelle as "feisty, smart" and deeply familiar with the show business world. Their relationship ended with her death from lung cancer in 2009 at their Malibu home. She was 76.
A New Chapter: Arlene Silver and Hollywood's Biggest Age Gap
Following Michelle Triola's passing, Van Dyke found love again with make-up artist Arlene Silver. The pair had first met professionally at the 2006 Screen Actors Guild Awards. After Triola's death, Silver offered support, and a deep friendship blossomed into romance.
They married in 2012, when Van Dyke was 86 and Silver was 40, creating a 46-year age gap. Following the split of Al Pacino and Noor Alfallah, their union is now considered Hollywood's most prominent marriage with a significant age difference.
The couple credit shared passions for singing and dancing, along with mutual care, for their happy marriage. Van Dyke has effusively praised Arlene, calling her his "soulmate" and crediting her with keeping him vibrant and active as he approaches his centenary. "She makes me feel somewhere between two thirds and three quarters my age," he has said.
As Dick Van Dyke turns 100, his legacy is not only one of cinematic joy and timeless entertainment but also a testament to a complex, full-hearted life lived both on and off the screen. His story weaves together youthful romance, mid-life passion, and a late-life partnership that defies convention, marking him as a true Hollywood original in every sense.
