Dick Van Dyke Quotes

Once you get the kids raised and the mortgage paid off and accomplish what you wanted to do in life, there's a great feeling of: 'Hey, I'm free as a bird.'

- Dick Van Dyke

Great, Feeling, Raised, Great Feeling

Working with my son was like falling off a log. I had so much fun doing it.

- Dick Van Dyke

Doing, Falling, Like, Log

You know, I'm almost out of the habit of watching episodic television now.

- Dick Van Dyke

Habit, Television, Almost, Episodic

I'm an old, white-haired guy. If I'm not recognized, I'm treated pretty much like every other elderly. But if people recognize me, it's a whole different thing.

- Dick Van Dyke

Pretty, Other, Treated, Different Thing

We had all week to rehearse. An audience would come in at the end of the week and we'd our little show. Most of the ad- libbing happened during the week on the show.

- Dick Van Dyke

Week, Audience, Rehearse, Ad

So as my kids will tell you, they had a pretty normal life.

- Dick Van Dyke

Will, Normal, Pretty, Normal Life

Stan said he used to keep Hardy late, make him miss his golf game, and really get him mad.

- Dick Van Dyke

Game, Used, Golf Game, Hardy

I was a 'Laurel and Hardy' nut. I got to know Laurel at the end of his life, and it was a great thrill for me. He left me his bow tie and derby and told me that if they ever made a movie about him, he'd want me to play him.

- Dick Van Dyke

Play, Movie, About, Hardy

When I was a kid, I loved all the silent comedians - Buster Keaton, Laurel and Hardy, Chaplin. And I used to imitate them. I'd go to see a Buster Keaton movie and come home and try things out I'd seen. I learned to do pratfalls when I was very young.

- Dick Van Dyke

Movie, Very, Buster, Hardy

I like 'The Office.' I particularly like the British version with Ricky Gervais. Of course, I liked the 'Seinfeld' show a lot. I thought that was an awfully good show.

- Dick Van Dyke

Thought, Like, Particularly, Ricky

The Horny Toad in Cave Creek has great food. When I'm in Arizona, I have at least one meal there. I have a daughter who lives out there, and Dee Dee Wood, who was the choreographer on 'Mary Poppins,' lives out there. I still get out there once in a while, but not in the summer.

- Dick Van Dyke

Arizona, Choreographer, Mary Poppins

I think, the 'Van Dyke Show' and 'Mary Poppins' are two of the best periods of my life. I had so much fun, I didn't want it to end.

- Dick Van Dyke

My Life, Think, Dyke, Mary Poppins

'Mary Poppins' was one of the best experiences of my life.

- Dick Van Dyke

Best, My Life, Mary, Mary Poppins

I get little kids who recognize me from 'Mary Poppins,' and it just delights me because it's our third generation.

- Dick Van Dyke

Generation, Recognize, Mary, Mary Poppins

'Chitty Chitty Bang Bang' was a movie that I repeatedly turned down. The movie's producer, Albert 'Cubby' Broccoli, known for his tight-fisted control of the James Bond movie franchise, desperately wanted to re-team Julie Andrews and me after the success we'd enjoyed with 'Mary Poppins.'

- Dick Van Dyke

Movie, Franchise, Turned, Mary Poppins

As for my studies in school, I was a solid student. I was strong in English and Latin, but I got lost anytime the subject included math. I wish I had paid more attention to biology and science in general, subjects that came to interest me as an adult. I could have gotten better marks, but I never took a book home, never did homework.

- Dick Van Dyke

Strong, Student, Gotten, Anytime

Women will never be as successful as men because they have no wives to advise them.

- Dick Van Dyke

Women, Never, Will, Advise

I don't think we've got much of a chance to tell you the truth. But our main problem is our audience skews a little older than most shows, and I don't think our people can stay up that late. I certainly can't.

- Dick Van Dyke

Tell, Got, Main, Our People

Somebody sent me a British magazine listing the 20 worst dialects ever done in movies. I was No. 2, with the worst Cockney accent ever done. No. 1 was Sean Connery, because he uses his Scottish brogue no matter what he's playing.

- Dick Van Dyke

British, Dialects, Sean, None

When you're a kid, you lay in the grass and watch the clouds going over, and you literally don't have a thought in your mind. It's purely meditation, and we lose that.

- Dick Van Dyke

Mind, Over, Purely, Grass

Here's the truth. Your teens and twenties are your Plan A. At 50, you're assessing whether Plan B or Plan C or any of the other plans you hatched actually worked. Your sixties and seventies, they're an improvisation.

- Dick Van Dyke

Here, Seventies, Hatched, Improvisation

I wanted to be Stan Laurel, then I wanted to be Fred Astaire and then Captain Kangaroo. I actually started out as a radio announcer when I was 17 and never left the business, so that's literally 70 years.

- Dick Van Dyke

Captain, Kangaroo, Announcer, Fred

Jon Stewart kills me. I love him. And Bill Maher. He does an hour on HBO. But entirely political. It is awfully rough, but he does make me laugh.

- Dick Van Dyke

Love, Rough, Jon, HBO

One day in '61, I was looking in the Santa Monica phone book for a number, and there it was: Stan Laurel, Ocean Avenue in Santa Monica. I went over there and spent the afternoon with them. And pumped him with questions. I must have driven him crazy. I spent a lot of happy hours at Stan's house on Sundays just talking about comedy.

- Dick Van Dyke

Happy, Book, Pumped, One Book

I've always thought if I could pick my interviewer, it'd be Charlie Rose, who I think is the best.

- Dick Van Dyke

Think, Always, I Think, Interviewer

My wife didn't like Hollywood or its stars, but she made an exception when, in 1972, we were invited to dinner - cooked by Frank Sinatra.

- Dick Van Dyke

Exception, Hollywood, Frank, None

The American people hit the streets and did something that the government wouldn't do: the Civil Rights Act. It didn't go down well with the corporate world.

- Dick Van Dyke

American, Go, Streets, Corporate World

Television's going, as far as I'm concerned, downhill, and I'm an anachronism.

- Dick Van Dyke

Television, Going, Concerned, Downhill

I'm the Steven Spielberg of Malibu.

- Dick Van Dyke

Spielberg, Steven, Malibu

No, no, it was the relationships. That was that group. People believed that Rob and Laura were really married in real life. You know, a lot of people believed that.

- Dick Van Dyke

People, Real, Rob, Laura

Bob Hope, like Mark Twain, had a sense of humor that was uniquely American, and like Twain, we'll likely not see another like him.

- Dick Van Dyke

Sense Of Humor, Like, Likely, Twain

The years have been just full of surprises for me, and a lot of fun.

- Dick Van Dyke

Me, Been, Lot, Surprises

When I get some budding young comic who'll come up to me and say, 'What was it like to do it in those days?' I try to be as gracious to him as Stan Laurel was to me.

- Dick Van Dyke

Young, Some, Laurel, Stan

In Bernie Sanders, I see a man saying that the emperor has no clothes while everyone around him insists they see clothes. Whether or not he makes it to the White House, I hope and pray that everyone hears the alarm he is sounding now; it may be the last voice we ever hear.

- Dick Van Dyke

Voice, I See, While, Emperor

I cannot tell you what it means when children recognize. This is about the third generation for me. And when kids that small recognize me, it really pleases me, very gratifying.

- Dick Van Dyke

Generation, Small, Means, Gratifying

Oh, I had an idea for a pilot of my own at the time, and then Carl sent me about eight scripts and simply I threw my idea out the window because the writing was just so good.

- Dick Van Dyke

Own, Idea, About, Scripts

Do you know that I was the anchor on the 'CBS Morning Show?' And my newsman was Walter Cronkite.

- Dick Van Dyke

Morning, Anchor, Show, CBS

In my seventies, I exercised to stay ambulatory. In my eighties, I exercise to avoid assisted living.

- Dick Van Dyke

Living, Seventies, Eighties, Assisted

I've always been a bit of an orphan, because actors say, 'Well, he's more of a dancer.' And dancers say, 'No. He's really a singer.' And singers say, 'No. He's an actor.'

- Dick Van Dyke

Always, Been, Singers, Orphan

I was 5 years old when the stock market crashed; I lost everything.

- Dick Van Dyke

Stock Market, Old, Market, Crashed

I was the class clown, you know, that kind of thing, and I gathered around me a group of guys who also were silly. I was in all the plays and everything. But I don't know, at that time show businesses looked like the moon, you know, it was so far away. I wanted to be a radio announcer.

- Dick Van Dyke

Away, Class Clown, Announcer, Businesses

Pandering to the scandal hungry public is a total lack of responsible journalism.

- Dick Van Dyke

Hungry, Total, Scandal, Journalism

I wrote a little autobiography about how luck has to do with everything. It's called 'My Lucky Life In and Out of Show Business.' A publisher came to me and said, 'Write a book,' so I did. I wanted to call it 'Everybody Else Has Got a Book.'

- Dick Van Dyke

Luck, Lucky, Everybody, Publisher

I'm crazy about Judi Dench.

- Dick Van Dyke

Crazy, About, Dench, None

The first time I met Mary Tyler Moore, I thought she was just beautiful, but I thought she was a little young.

- Dick Van Dyke

Thought, Young, Mary, Tyler

'The Dick Van Dyke Show' was the most fun I ever had and the most creative period of my life.

- Dick Van Dyke

My Life, Van, Dyke, None

All of us involved say 'The Dick Van Dyke Show' was the best five years of our lives. We were like otters at play.

- Dick Van Dyke

Play, Van, Dyke, None

A lot of actors seem to dislike typecasting these days. The funny thing is, that's a fairly recent development. It used to be that actors wanted to be typecast so audiences could remember them and identify with them.

- Dick Van Dyke

Development, Funny Thing, Typecast

Probably one of the happiest moments, outside the birth of all of my kids, was the first time we won an Emmy, that the show won an Emmy. That was a big night.

- Dick Van Dyke

Night, Big, Happiest, Emmy

I think it's being thrown at the wolves, we call it in our business.

- Dick Van Dyke

Think, Call, I Think, Wolves

I don't have any children; I have four middle-aged people.

- Dick Van Dyke

Children, Four, Any, Middle-Aged

I asked Fred Astaire once when he was about my age if he still danced, and he said 'Yes, but it hurts now.' That's exactly it. I can still dance, too, but it hurts now!

- Dick Van Dyke

Yes, Still, Fred Astaire, Astaire

I can't work with my brother without laughing.

- Dick Van Dyke

Work, Brother, Without, Laughing

I love to harmonize.

- Dick Van Dyke

Love, I Love, Harmonize

I pay attention to the news. I take the 'New York Times.' I do the Saturday crossword.

- Dick Van Dyke

News, New, Saturday, New York Times

Just knowing you don't have the answers is a recipe for humility, openness, acceptance, forgiveness, and an eagerness to learn - and those are all good things.

- Dick Van Dyke

Forgiveness, Humility, Learn, Good Things

I'm always announcing my retirement. I'm still not retired.

- Dick Van Dyke

Always, Still, Retired, Announcing

When I auditioned for 'Bye Bye Birdie' on Broadway, Gower Champion said, 'You've got the job!' I said, 'Mr. Champion, I can't dance.' He said, 'We'll teach you what you need to know.'

- Dick Van Dyke

Broadway, Birdie, Mr, Champion

But once we got on the air, everybody except Morey Amsterdam pretty much stuck to the script.

- Dick Van Dyke

Pretty, Everybody, Once, Stuck

I love musicals, but I find it's just so deadening. You know, 30 takes, you do a little piece here and a little piece there. There's hours and hours of waiting. And to me, that's as far away from real performance as you can get.

- Dick Van Dyke

Love, Here, Away, Little Piece

I watch 'Al Jazeera.' They have news that you can't find anywhere else. They do great documentaries, too.

- Dick Van Dyke

News, Al, Anywhere, Documentaries

I didn't even start dancing until I was in my thirties, and it was like flying.

- Dick Van Dyke

Dancing, Like, Even, Thirties

Oh, well, my first love is comedy or singing and dancing.

- Dick Van Dyke

Love, Singing, Dancing, Love Is

When I was a kid, I had ambitions for being a television announcer, which was before television took off, you know, in the late '40s. And just through necessity, going out looking for work, I was starting to sing, and dance, and act, and I never expected to do that, nor to have any success at it at least.

- Dick Van Dyke

Through, Before, Announcer, Starting

Unfortunately, the spouses of performers have a terrible, terrible life. They get shunted aside, pushed aside, ignored.

- Dick Van Dyke

Ignored, Performers, Spouses, Terrible

It's more in my nature to be optimistic, I think. I'm one of those people who gets up on the right side of the bed in the morning.

- Dick Van Dyke

Think, Bed, Side, Right Side

I don't think parents can protect their kids in this media-nut culture.

- Dick Van Dyke

Culture, Parents, Think, Protect

I have a beautiful, young wife who sings and dances, so there's a lot of duetting going on at my house.

- Dick Van Dyke

Young, Going, Sings, Dances

No, I did night clubs right here in Los Angeles. My partner, Phil Erickson, put me in the business, a guy from my home town, a dear friend who we just lost a couple of months ago.

- Dick Van Dyke

Here, Guy, Couple, Los Angeles

But I wish they would make a musical of some kind. I miss musicals so much. You don't see them anymore.

- Dick Van Dyke

Some, I Wish, Musical, Musicals

Divorce is something that I never dreamed would happen to me. But it did.

- Dick Van Dyke

Never, Happen, Would, Divorce

So I think we're kind of an alternate choice for people who have had it with sex and violence.

- Dick Van Dyke

Think, Kind, I Think, Alternate

In the best of all worlds, the producers would take some responsibility for the kinds of things they're putting out. Unfortunately, they don't.

- Dick Van Dyke

Some, Worlds, Putting, Producers

I've retired so many times now it's getting to be a habit.

- Dick Van Dyke

Habit, Getting, Times, Retired

A lot of violence, a lot of gore in it, and I just didn't want to do that kind of thing.

- Dick Van Dyke

Kind, Want, Lot, Gore

Everyone should dance. And everyone should sing. People say, 'Well, I can't sing.' Everybody can sing. That you do it badly is no reason not to sing.

- Dick Van Dyke

Reason, Everybody, Badly, No Reason

I think the saddest moment in my life just happened two months ago. My old nightclub partner passed away, Phil Erickson down in Atlanta. He - I owe him everything. He put me in the business and taught me about everything I know.

- Dick Van Dyke

My Life, Away, I Think, Atlanta

I did a 'Golden Girls' once, which shot in front of an audience, and that went well. I had a good time. But I need an audience, for comedy at least.

- Dick Van Dyke

Audience, Need, Which, Good Time

So at 16 I got a job at the local radio station. And I was working after school and weekends. I did the news; I did everything. I did - played records.

- Dick Van Dyke

News, Records, Weekends, Radio Station

I've won several Emmys, a Tony and a Grammy, so maybe somebody will let me have an Oscar, and then I'll have a full set.

- Dick Van Dyke

Maybe, Set, Oscar, Tony

As wonderful as they were, my parents didn't teach me anything about self-discipline, concentration, patience, or focus. If I hadn't had a family myself, I probably never would've done anything. Marriage taught me responsibility.

- Dick Van Dyke

Focus, About, Had, Parents

My son Barry, of course, has been on from the beginning. And his son Shane is playing now a med student regularly on the show. And at one point or another, I've had all four of his kids on the show.

- Dick Van Dyke

Beginning, Student, Been, Shane

My wife, as proud as she was of me, hated show business for good reasons. There was something about the spouse always being pushed out of the way, shoved aside. She wanted to get away from it.

- Dick Van Dyke

Away, Show, Reasons, Hated

I played a killer twice. Once on 'Matlock,' on Andy Griffith's show, I got to play the killer.

- Dick Van Dyke

Play, Twice, Once, Killer

I found out retirement means playing golf, or I don't know what the hell it means. But to me, retirement means doing what you have fun doing.

- Dick Van Dyke

Have Fun, Doing, Means, Fun

I'm really in retirement. My career is over. I'm just playing now and having a great time. I like to keep busy, and I'm doing what's fun for me.

- Dick Van Dyke

Career, Doing, Over, Fun

I've been talking about retiring for years. It's my standard answer to the question, 'What are your future plans?' The truth is, I'll always want to do things that are worthwhile or fun.

- Dick Van Dyke

Always, Been, Standard, Retiring

I have four children and I have seven grandkids.

- Dick Van Dyke

Children, Seven, Four, Grandkids

I have four kids, seven grandkids, and four great-grandkids. Maybe I can become a great-great-grandfather if I hang on!

- Dick Van Dyke

Hang, Maybe, Four, Grandkids

My maternal grandfather owned a grocery store that also sold kosher meat. He did well.

- Dick Van Dyke

Store, Sold, Also, Meat

There's a lot of very funny people I'd love to work with that I've never met, of course. I love Steve Martin and Jim Carrey.

- Dick Van Dyke

Love, Funny People, Very, Met

I went from my mother to my wife. And to this day, I can't bear to be alone.

- Dick Van Dyke

Mother, Wife, Alone, Bear

I think most people will tell you that. They can go along and, while they're denying that they are addicted, say it's stress this, it's this, it's that. But I - it's - I think - I really believe there is a gene. Some people become addicted and others don't.

- Dick Van Dyke

Tell, Some, I Think, Some People

I swim, go to the gym, and do a little dancing every day and a little singing.

- Dick Van Dyke

Singing, Dancing, Every Day, Swim

Put me on solid ground and I'll start tapping! At my age they say to keep moving.

- Dick Van Dyke

Start, Solid, Tapping, They Say

I've had a lot of writers, in particular, who said they got into writing because of the 'Van Dyke Show.' They said it looked like fun.

- Dick Van Dyke

Van, Dyke, Looked, Particular

I'm not a loner. I have to have a life partner.

- Dick Van Dyke

Life, Partner, Loner

Don't worry so much. Most of the things you worry about never end up happening.

- Dick Van Dyke

Worry, Never, Most, Happening

My favorite unknown movie is 'The Comic.'

- Dick Van Dyke

Movie, Favorite, Comic, Unknown

I'm a very neat person.

- Dick Van Dyke

Person, Very, Neat

I was lucky to get the kinds of parts I wanted. I always said I didn't want to do anything my kids can't see.

- Dick Van Dyke

Lucky, Want, Always, Parts

The secret to keeping moving is keeping moving.

- Dick Van Dyke

Secret, Keeping, Moving

My brother and I laughed a lot as kids. We came up in the middle of the Depression, and neither one of us knew we were poor. We had nothing, but we didn't know it.

- Dick Van Dyke

Nothing, Middle, Knew, Depression

I never had a lot of drive, but because I had family responsibilities, I had a lot of tenacity - the tenacity of a drowning man.

- Dick Van Dyke

Never, Tenacity, Lot, Responsibilities

All that nipping and tucking doesn't make you look younger - only stranger.

- Dick Van Dyke

Only, Younger, Make, Stranger

I do miss the rhythms of comedy. And I've never been able to perform very well without an audience. The sitcoms I've done had them. It was like doing a little play.

- Dick Van Dyke

Play, Rhythms, Very, Miss

I was the worst game show host that ever lived, and I knew it.

- Dick Van Dyke

Game, Knew, Ever, Game Show

I wanted to be a radio announcer.

- Dick Van Dyke

Radio, Wanted, Announcer

When I was a kid, I had ambitions for being a television announcer, which was before television took off, you know, in the late '40s.

- Dick Van Dyke

Before, Which, Took, Announcer

I never made a good movie.

- Dick Van Dyke

Never, Movie, Made, Good Movie

Emotionally, I'm about 13.

- Dick Van Dyke

About, Emotionally

I sing and dance. That's my job.

- Dick Van Dyke

Job, Sing, Dance

I married somebody half my age, and everybody thought I was crazy, but she is just an absolute angel.

- Dick Van Dyke

Thought, Everybody, Half, Married

I've always wanted to learn kick boxing.

- Dick Van Dyke

Learn, Always, Wanted, Kick

For some reason, as time gets short in life, wasting time escaping through entertainment bothers me.

- Dick Van Dyke

Through, Some, Escaping, Gets

Somebody asked what I wanted on my gravestone. I'm just going to put: 'Glad I Could Help.'

- Dick Van Dyke

Going, Could, Somebody, Glad

There are no more Walt Disneys anymore.

- Dick Van Dyke

More, Walt, Anymore

I've made peace with insecurity... because there is no security of any kind.

- Dick Van Dyke

Security, Kind, Made, Insecurity

I have a lot of friends who say that one of the freedoms of being older is you don't care what other people think, which I don't think is right. You care what other people think, but if you're comfortable in your own skin, that doesn't bother you.

- Dick Van Dyke

Think, Other, Which, Comfortable

Every morning I have something to do, I'm better off. It's bad to get up and not have something to do.

- Dick Van Dyke

Better, Bad, Get, Better Off

I was always in show business but in many ways was not really of show business. I didn't move in show business circles, particularly, still don't do it.

- Dick Van Dyke

Always, Move, Still, Circles

I never wanted to be an actor, and to this day I don't. I can't get a handle on it. An actor wants to become someone else. I am a song-and-dance man, and I enjoy being myself, which is all I can do.

- Dick Van Dyke

Enjoy, Being Myself, I Can, Handle

My life has been a magnificent indulgence.

- Dick Van Dyke

My Life, Been, Magnificent, Indulgence

I got into a Broadway show before I ever sang and danced. I learned how after I got in the show.

- Dick Van Dyke

Broadway, Before, Learned, Sang

Dick Martin was a good buddy, and he was always a lot of fun to have around.

- Dick Van Dyke

Good, Always, Lot, Martin

I don't play golf. I have more fun singing and dancing.

- Dick Van Dyke

Golf, Dancing, Play, Play Golf

I grew up in Danville, Illinois, right in the middle of the state.

- Dick Van Dyke

Right, Middle, Up, Illinois

Once you're dead, your worries are over.

- Dick Van Dyke

Dead, Over, Once, Worries

I was born in the Coolidge administration. Can you believe that? So I've seen a lot of politics.

- Dick Van Dyke

Politics, Lot, I Was Born

There are no sure answers, only better questions.

- Dick Van Dyke

Better, Only, Sure, Answers

Rob Petrie is who I really am - in personality and general ineffectiveness.

- Dick Van Dyke

Personality, General, Am, Rob

My career is over. I'm just playing now and having a great time. I like to keep busy, and I'm doing what's fun for me.

- Dick Van Dyke

Career, Doing, Over, Busy

I turned down some movies that were quite good. mainly on the basis of taste.

- Dick Van Dyke

Movies, Some, Turned, Taste

My father made about $25 a week. We always lived just on the edge.

- Dick Van Dyke

Week, Always, Made, Edge

The thing I'm most proud of is my family, the way they've turned out.

- Dick Van Dyke

Family, Proud, Most, Turned

I never had a lot of confidence in myself.

- Dick Van Dyke

Myself, Never, Lot, Confidence

They did ask me to do 'Dancing With The Stars;' I said I can do one show, but on that show you have to come up with a new number every week, and I told them that I think I'm a little past that stage.

- Dick Van Dyke

Dancing, Week, I Think, Stars

That rule about having to act one's age? I just don't buy it.

- Dick Van Dyke

Act, Buy, Having, Rule

I never even had a bachelorhood: I went straight from my parents' home to a marriage.

- Dick Van Dyke

Marriage, Never, Even, Straight

My memory's not too good.

- Dick Van Dyke

Good, Too, Memory

My kids are so much better parent than I was.

- Dick Van Dyke

Better, Than, Much, Parent

I learned everything that I know about comedy and about show business and a lot about life from Carl.

- Dick Van Dyke

Business, Comedy, Learned, Show Business

I worked nightclubs all through my 20s, and I was a teetotaler.

- Dick Van Dyke

Through, Worked, Nightclubs

If you're searching for quotes on a different topic, feel free to browse our Topics page or explore a diverse collection of quotes from various Authors to find inspiration.

Powerful Dick Van Dyke for Daily Growth