Dick Van Dyke and Arlene Silver are giving fans a fresh glimpse into their relationship — and it’s the kind of love story that hits you right in the chest.
Van Dyke’s new memoir, 100 Rules for Living to 100: An Optimist’s Guide to a Happy Life, arrived on November 18, and he’s been out promoting it ahead of a major milestone: he turns 100 on December 13. During a recent appearance on Today, he sat down with Al Roker — with Silver by his side — to talk about the book and their life together.
When Roker asked what’s helped their marriage stay solid, Van Dyke didn’t hesitate. For him, the answer is simple: they keep having fun together.
“She keeps me young when we sing, you know, and we dance,” he said. “She just keeps me a teenager.”
Roker then turned to Silver to ask how being with Van Dyke has shaped her life. She got emotional almost immediately, and the moment said everything about the bond they share.
“I’m always on the verge of tears because he’s just the greatest human being ever,” she said, as Van Dyke gently wiped away her tears. “He just changed the way I look at life.”
Viewers couldn’t stop talking about the exchange afterward. Many chimed in online to say how moved they felt watching Silver tear up while describing her husband and the life they’ve built.
Their story goes back nearly two decades. Van Dyke and Silver first met in 2006 at the SAG Awards. At the time, their connection was professional. That changed in 2009, after Van Dyke’s longtime partner, Michelle Triola, died of cancer. The friendship deepened into romance, and the two later got engaged in 2011 before marrying in 2012.
More than anything, their interview reminded people that love can be both tender and playful — and that staying young at heart might just be a daily choice you make together.
