NEED TO KNOW
- Dick Van Dyke revealed that he and longtime friend Ed Asner were set to do a remake of The Odd Couple before the Asner’s death at age 91 in 2021
- The Odd Couple — which has had iterations as a Broadway play, movie and TV sitcom — chronicles the comedic interactions of friends Felix and Oscar, who decide to live together despite one being messy and the other neat
- “That would’ve been fun, and we lost it. I’ve lost a lot of friends,” Van Dyke said of the planned project with Asner
Dick Van Dyke had a special project in the works with Ed Asner before the latter actor’s death.
Dick, 99, revealed during a Q&A with his wife, Arlene Van Dyke, that he and longtime friend Asner — who died in August 2021 at the age of 91 — were set to team up for a remake of the classic comedy The Odd Couple.
“That would’ve been such fun, and we lost it. I’ve lost a lot of friends,” Dick said during the conversation at the Dick & Arlene Van Dyke Present Vandy Camp event in Malibu, Calif.
“He’s outlived everybody,” Arlene, 53, chimed in about her husband. “That’s the curse of living to almost 100.”
Arlene then noted that the Chitty Chitty Bang Bang star is “still so positive” despite having lost so many beloved friends and former costars over the years and asked him the secret to his cheerful mindset.
“Well, life’s been good to me. I can’t complain,” Dick simply replied.
Fans were first introduced to The Odd Couple’s iconic duo Oscar and Felix in Neil Simon’s Broadway play in 1965. A movie followed in 1968, starring Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau. Felix, a neat freak, moves in with his messy best friend Oscar following his divorce, and their relationship is put to the test — and then some.
A TV series, developed by Garry Marshall, then premiered in September 1970 and ran for five seasons. Jack Klugman portrayed Oscar, and Tony Randall played Felix, and their differing household standards led to lots of comedic clashes as the pair shared a New York City apartment.
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While chatting with PEOPLE at the Malibu event, where Dick performed with his barbershop quartet, The Vantastix, the actor — who will turn 100 in December — shared why he continues to perform and go out onstage instead of easing into retirement.
“I’m a ham,” he says. “I love it. I get a jolt of energy from an audience.”
Reflecting on his decades-long entertainment career, Dick singled out his turn as Albert Peterson in Bye Bye Birdie on Broadway from April 1960 to October 1961 as the role that most stands out for him.
“[It’s] the one that got me off the ground,” he explains. “It was the biggest thrill. And I got a Tony [Award] later.”
The Broadway gig led to him kickstarting his film career by playing Albert in the 1963 movie adaptation of Bye Bye Birdie.
At that time, Dick was also headlining The Dick Van Dyke Show, a sitcom in which he played a comedy writer named Rob Petrie. Amid the show’s successful five-year run, he was also cast alongside Julie Andrews in 1964’s Mary Poppins in not one, but two roles: chimney sweep Bert and bank chairman Mr. Dawes Sr.
Dick recalled to PEOPLE how Andews, 89, was “as sweet as she could be and so patient with me” — especially as he struggled with the singing aspects of his performance.
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“I’m not a real singer, so I tend to be under, fighting to get up there and sing on top of the note. Just took me forever in the recording,” he says.
“But [Andrews] was just patient as could be and kept helping me, saying, ‘Think high. Think up there.’ And it turned out great,” he continues. “She was wonderful. We had a wonderful time together.”
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