The 19th annual Screen Actors Guild Awards took place on Jan. 27, 2013, at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles. Here is what this Screen Actors Guild Award winner said backstage in the Golden Globe Awards press room.
DICK VAN DYKE
Life Achievement Award
What talents do you think you have that have allowed you to have success in different types of roles?
I wrote a book about my lucky life. I’ve been so lucky. Luck has a lot to do with it. Being in the right place at the right time. Having someone see you when you have to be particularly good.
For me, it was heart in my mouth. I was a radio announcer originally, and I thought that was what I was going to be. And I ended up singing and dancing on a Broadway show and television and movies. So it was all a surprise to me.
I don’t know. I love to perform. Usually, if I perform without an audience, I really don’t know what I’m doing. I need the audience to do their half of the work. We always, on “The Dick Van Dyke Show,” had an audience. We did it like a play. I love an audience. That’s why I’m not very good in movies, because there’s nobody there to play to.
When you look back on your long career, what moment still makes you laugh the most?
A lot. I did a lot of laughing. I think the hardest I ever laughed was at Morey Amsterdam. He was supposed to walk in the room in the office, take off my hat and throw it over my shoulder at the hanger by the door, which I never did in rehearsal.
The night of the show, [I threw it], and it went on that wire, right on the hook. And Morey ruined the shot. He said, “Holy sh*t! He’s been trying to do that all week!” It ruined the shot. And I never got it on there again. A lot of laughs on that show.
For more info: Screen Actors Guild Awards website
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