Dick Van Dyke Turns 100 and Credits Positivity for a Long Life

Dick Van Dyke in “Mary Poppins.” Photo: mobilinchen/Depositphotos

Dick Van Dyke celebrated his 100th birthday on December 13, and the legendary actor has surprisingly simple advice for living a long life. According to the Mary Poppins star, a positive mindset is key—and science backs him up.

Living a long and healthy life depends on many factors, from genetics to lifestyle choices. However, research increasingly shows that mindset matters too. One striking example dates back to the 1930s, when researchers asked 678 young nuns, most of them in their early twenties, to write short autobiographies when they entered a convent.

More than 60 years later, scientists revisited those writings and compared them with the women’s health records. They found that the nuns who expressed more positive emotions early on lived an average of 10 years longer than those whose writing was more negative. That means keeping a gratitude journal might do more than just lift your mood in the moment—it could actually add years to your life.

Science also shows that chronic stress and anger are linked to a higher risk of cardiovascular conditions, including heart disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes. But for Van Dyke, managing those negative emotions was never an issue. “I’ve always thought that anger eats up a person’s insides,” he said in a recent interview. “I was never really able to work up a feeling of hate.” The actor went on to describe how his own father was “constantly upset” about things in his life, and he died at age 74.

There’s also a cellular reason stress may shorten our lifespan, and it comes down to telomeres, the protective caps at the ends of our DNA. In healthy cells, telomeres stay long and intact, but they naturally wear down as we age. When they become too short, cells struggle to repair and renew themselves, accelerating the aging process.

Research suggests chronic stress speeds up this telomere shortening, meaning emotions like unmanaged anger may literally age us faster. Stress-reducing practices such as meditation have been linked to longer telomeres, hinting that managing stress could help support a longer life.

Van Dyke added that he feels “really good” at 100. He also credits his wife, Arlene Silver, for keeping him young. “She’s kept me happy every day of my life, every day. She’s a joy,” he says, “She can get me singing or dancing and she carries so much responsibility … I’m just lucky.” The beloved actor—who first appeared on TV on Chance of a Lifetime in 1954—added, “Sometimes I have more energy than others—but I never wake up in a bad mood,” he said. “I feel like I’m about 13.”