Meet Mary Poppins star Dick Van Dyke’s much younger wife, Arlene Silver: 46 years his junior, she was the Hollywood actor’s make-up artist before tying the knot – and they’re active on TikTok

Jul 29, 2024

Hollywood star Dick van Dyke and his wife Arlene Silver were spotted recently at the TCL Chinese Theatre in Los Angeles, California, on June 20. Photo: Reuters

Hollywood legend Dick Van Dyke fell in love with his make-up artist, who’s 46 years younger than him: she was in her 30s while he was in his 80s when they met

Since getting married more than 10 years ago, Silver shares snippets of their life on TikTok and even sang a cover of Doris Day’s ‘Everybody Loves A Lover’ with his barbershop group

Celebrity couples with massive age gaps never fail to draw attention, especially when the gap is as big as 46 years. That’s the case with veteran Hollywood star Dick Van Dyke, who is married to his much younger wife, Arlene Silver.

The pair first met when she was in her thirties and he was in his eighties. They got married in 2012. When asked about their age gap by the Huffington Post, he said: “Emotionally I’m about 13 … She’s very, very wise for her age”. However, he admitted that it did deter her at the beginning. “The age difference kind of stopped her. I had to convince her that it was meaningless. I am so happy,” he added.

Actor Dick Van Dyke and his much younger wife Arlene Silver arrive at the 18th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards in Los Angeles, in 2012. Photo: AP Photo

Earlier this year, Silver opened up about their age gap too, telling Entertainment Tonight that it was “irrelevant” and that “when you see us together, it’s like you don’t even think about it”. Van Dyke added, “I was fortunate that I didn’t grow up … It was meant to be”.

Here’s everything we know about the woman who stole Van Dyke’s heart at half his age.

She was his make-up artist

Dick Van Dyke first met his now-wife in 2006 at the SAG Awards while he was still with his partner of 35 years, Michelle Triola. Per the interview with HuffPost, she “stopped [him] dead”. In 2013, he told People, “There was something about her beautiful eyes”.

The Mary Poppins star hired her to be his make-up artist, which she was for a long time until Triola died from lung cancer. It was then that Silver started offering her company to Van Dyke. “She would come over after work and either bring me food or cook for me, do my dishes and look after me, so I fell in love pretty hard,” Van Dyke told HuffPost.

They had two wedding celebrations

Arlene Silver enjoying herself at her wedding party. Photo: @bijoubox/Instagram