In a recent interview with People magazine, the actor recalled that "I was backstage at a show, and she walked by, and for some reason, I jumped up and said, 'Hi, I'm Dick'. There was something about her that captivated me, and I was right." He added, "I had never greeted a stranger in my life. I was too scared." During their conversation, Arlene confessed that she hadn't even seenMary Poppins and that his face looked somewhat familiar to her. Far from being hurt in his ego, Dick Van Dyke celebrated it because other women approached him for his fame.
From that encounter, Van Dyke hired her as a makeup artist for some shoots and various social events, as the actor believes that the secret to staying young is to be constantly "on the move." The chemistry between the couple was evident to their close ones, although some, especially fans, accused the young woman of being a gold digger. "Everyone said it wouldn't work. Yes, it's unsettling how well it works. People of the same age don't last. We just love each other very much," the star confessed. The actor had already referred to this when he spoke to Closer Weekly three years ago: "I thought there would be a protest because a gold digger was marrying an elderly man. But no one took that stance."
They officially started dating in 2009 and three years later, they got married in a private ceremony in a chapel near their Malibu mansion, which has since become their love nest. "We love being in our home, we love Malibu, it's our favorite place, but especially our home... We are very grateful. Our home was hit by the Franklin fire, but in the grand scheme of things, we were very lucky," Arlene stated.
In a way, it was a challenge for Arlene to walk down the aisle, as she explained with laughter: "He kept asking me to marry him almost every day until finally, six months later, I said yes." Regarding his wife's reaction, the actor jokingly mentioned that he preferred to wait until she turned 40 because then it didn't seem like he was robbing the cradle. "It was a relief for him because it sounds better than 39," his second wife concluded.
During the interview last weekend, they both stated that they care "a lot for each other" and "get along very well." Arlene has been a pure vitamin for Dick. Occasionally, he likes to say that the secret to his vitality is "having a young and beautiful wife half my age, who takes care of me, that works!" and admitted that he is grateful to her for helping him maintain a "positive attitude," as well as going to the gym "three days a week." Regarding Arlene's relationship with Dick's family, the actor stated that his grandchildren "call her grandma, and my four children adore her."
His first wife was Margie Willett, whom he had known practically since childhood, as they both grew up in Danville (Illinois). But it wasn't until the actor turned 20 that they started dating seriously. Van Dyke has stated on several occasions that they were "too poor to get married," but fate was on their side, as they found a kind of sponsor because a radio producer paid for the wedding and honeymoon in exchange for getting married on his showBride and Groom. The happy event took place on February 12, 1948.
The actor recalled some time ago: "We got married in front of a minister and two radio microphones while 15 million people listened to us." The marriage was plunged into great sadness when Willett suffered a miscarriage of twins. Shortly after, Christian was born followed by Barry, Stacey, and Carrie Beth. The relationship was like a roller coaster as he was overly fond of alcohol, and she of antidepressants. "Our addictions were symptomatic of deeper issues in our relationship, and we were drifting apart."
It was during this process that Dick began an affair with Michelle Triola, who had previously lived with Lee Marvin, with whom he officially declared his love story once divorced in 1984. They never got married, but their relationship lasted 35 years until her passing in 2009. Losing his life partner was tremendously tough, but Arlene tried to comfort him. "She was a great support, I fell in love with her," admitted the star of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (1968).