Entertainment legend Dick Van Dyke is proving that age is just a number as he celebrates his 99th birthday, reflecting on the milestone with his trademark humour and resilience.
The beloved Mary Poppins star marked the occasion just days after surviving a dramatic wildfire that forced him and his wife, Arlene, to flee their Malibu home.
Speaking about the terrifying ordeal, Van Dyke revealed he had to be carried to safety by neighbours.
“It was coming from the hill, you could see it. And oh my God, and we got out of here. I was trying to crawl to the car, I had exhausted myself, I couldn’t get up,” he told the TODAY show.
“Three neighbours came and carried me out and came back and put out a little fire in the guest house and saved me.”
Van Dyke later reassured fans on Facebook that he and Arlene were safe following the fire, thanking his neighbours for their heroic efforts.
Despite the ordeal, Van Dyke remains as optimistic as ever as he marked 99 years around the sun on Friday, December 13.
“Tomorrow, I’ll start my first day of my 100th year. Can you believe that? I don’t. I can’t get my mind around 99 because I don’t feel it. I mean, I don’t feel great, but I don’t feel 99,” he told NBC News.
When asked about his plans for the year ahead, the entertainer expressed his desire to keep working.
“I hope to get work. I’d like to get a job,” he said.
“I could play someone’s grandfather on a sitcom or something. Just to keep busy. I’m not expensive.”
Fans flooded social media with heartfelt birthday wishes, honouring the entertainer who continues to inspire with his boundless energy and positivity.
At 99, Van Dyke remains a testament to living joyfully, no matter the challenges.
-with BANG.