Walt Disney had a friend in Dick Van Dyke.
The famed actor, who is set to turn 100 on Dec. 13, reflected on his bond with the late animator.
“I got to know Walt, I’m probably the last person alive who did. I got to know Walt pretty well, and we just got along,” Van Dyke shared during an event at his home on Nov. 30, per People. “We decided that emotionally we were both 13 years old and that’s why we love to do children’s entertainment.”
“He was a big kid, just so full of enthusiasm, and I just loved him,” the comedian gushed.
Van Dyke added that while they “were kind of on opposite sides of the political fence,” they “didn’t let that get in the way.”
“Yeah, he was a wonderful guy,” continued the “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang” star. “He just smoked too much! Doggone.”
Disney died at the age of 65 in 1966 from lung cancer.
Van Dyke was in his 30s when he first met Disney, who was in his early 60s.
Disney was an animator, screen writer, film producer, director and voice actor. He created the Disney brand and everyone’s favorite mouse: Mickey.
Meanwhile, in October, Van Dyke recalled how “simple” it was to land a role in “Mary Poppins.”
“It is insane. I did an interview once, and in the interview I said, ‘I don’t think there’s enough good entertainment for kids,’” he stated. “Walt Disney heard it, called me up, and gave me the part. It was that simple.”
Despite Disney giving the green light, the author of the books, Pamela Lyndon Travers, wasn’t a fan of any of the casting choices.
“She wasn’t crazy about anything,” Van Dyke confessed. “The lady who wrote the book didn’t think I was right. Didn’t think Julie [Andrews] was right. She wanted all of the animation taken out.”
After Travers went to Disney to make changes, Van Dyke claimed the film producer told her that “the boat has sailed.”
“Mary Poppins” took home five Academy Awards, with Andrews, now 90, earning a Best Actress trophy.
In 2024’s “Untold Story of Mary Poppins: A Special Edition of 20/20,” Van Dyke recounted how he and Disney “hit it right off.”
“We both admitted that we just pretended to be grown up and that we were still kids,” said Van Dyke. “I went into his office, and he had watercolor paintings of all the scenes in the movie. By the time we got through with that, I was just so excited.”
And ahead of the “Bye Bye Birdie” star’s centennial birthday, he recently opened up about one of the most stressful times in his life.
Last month, Van Dyke noted that it was extremely difficult to balance work with raising his family.
He married Margie Willett in 1948, and the pair shared kids Barry, Stacy, Christian and Carrie Beth.
The exes split in 1984 and Willett died in 2008.
“In the beginning I was [raising] in a family with no money, so the whole thing was getting some money together and getting a home,” Van Dyke told People. “I bought a home on the GI Bill, finally, but I think the toughest was I did game shows. I played nightclubs. I did about everything. At one point, I was doing a disc jockey show at 5 in the morning, and then at night I was working with a partner in nightclubs.”
“I was getting like three or four hours sleep in between, but that’s the only thing I can remember, is working so hard to get going, to get a foothold,” he continued. “After that I’ve enjoyed every minute of it.”
Van Dyke admitted that at times, there was no balance.
“They probably got neglected at some point, because I was really working hard to get out of poverty, so to speak, but I haven’t had any complaints from anybody,” he reflected.
“I think of how rare it is that a person gets to do for a living, what they love to do,” mused Van Dyke. “Most people have to go sit in an office. I never forgot that I look forward to getting up every morning and going to work, because it’s what I would’ve done for nothing.”
The Emmy winner also took a moment to gush over his wife Arlene Silver, 54, whom he married in 2012.
“She’s responsible for keeping me in the moment,” Van Dyke shared. “She kept me happy every day of my life, every day. She’s a joy. She can get me singing or dancing and she carries so much responsibility … I’m just lucky.”
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