Dick Van Dyke was not quite sure what he wanted to do with his life. When interviewed by Pat Gallagher for the Huffington Post, he said that he never anticipated the kind of career path he has taken and after getting a job as a radio announcer at 17, “the next 70 years were just full of surprises.” Over the course of those seven decades, Van Dyke has truly entertained audiences with his singing, dancing, and acting in film, television, and on stage. He is positively a testament to versatility, charm, and what seems to be effortless, natural ability. He does not acknowledge his talent, hard work, or dedication as reasons for his success, but rather luck. Thankfully, his luck has also been that of the audiences, who are now left with The Dick Van Dyke Show (1961-1966), Mary Poppins (1965), Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (1968), and much more.
Appropriately, on Sunday, January 27, 2013, Dick Van Dyke was lauded with a Lifetime Achievement Award at the 19th annual Screen Actors Guild Awards. It was the same honor that he bestowed upon his former co-star, Mary Tyler Moore, just the year before. Alec Baldwin presented the 87-year-old actor with his new trophy for which Van Dyke received a lengthy standing ovation. This accolade is one of many for Van Dyke, who has won a Tony for Bye Bye Birdie in 1961 and three Emmys for The Dick Van Dyke Show. Van Dyke appeared to be tickled and surprised by the fact that he was receiving so much attention. He was very humble regarding his new distinction, saying that he was just proud to be considered a peer among the other actors in the room. After thanking everyone, he exclaimed with the same, lovable smile that could be recognized anywhere, "Aren't we lucky to have found a line of work that doesn't require growing up?" With the same childish glee that he has exuded throughout his career, he walked off the stage while the room full of performers smiled and clapped.
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