Dick Van Dyke Biography

Dick Van Dyke, born as Richard Wayne Van Dyke is an American actor, singer, dancer, comedian, and producer. The elder brother of the late entertainer Jerry Van Dyke and father of actor Barry Van Dyke, he has worked for about seven decades in the entertainment industry. He first got fame from his radio and stage career and then went on to play his breakthrough role of Rob Petrie in CBS’s ‘The Dick Van Dyke Show,’ a sitcom that ran from 1961 to 1966. Besides TV, Dyke also made prominent appearances in musical films and movies, such as ‘Bye Bye Birdie’, ‘Curious George’, ‘Mary Poppins’, ‘Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb’ and ‘Curious George’, to name a few. He also served in the United States Air Force during the World War II. Born to Loren Wayne "Cookie" Van Dyke, a salesman, and Hazel Victoria, a stenographer, the future actor grew up in Danville, Illinois, alongside his brother Jerry. He went on to attend Danville High School where his schoolmates were Bobby Short and Donald O'Connor, both of whom would go on to become successful entertainers. Dyke became a computer animation enthusiast in 1991. His passion was seen in ‘The Dick Van Dyke Show Revisited’ and ‘Diagnosis: Murder’ where he used his own 3D-rendered effects. He has also displayed his computerized imagery work at SIGGRAPH. A father of four, the American actor has been married twice. The veteran actor is the recipient of numerous awards including the SAG Life Achievement Award.