Dick Van Dyke reveals he's 'praying to make it' to 99th birthday amid cancelled public appearances
Dick Van Dyke joked that he's "praying to make it" to his 99th birthday when asked about his plans to celebrate the upcoming milestone.
The Hollywood actor appeared in good spirits as he was spotted out and about in Malibu, California, on Monday. In video footage published by Page Six, the Mary Poppins star smiled as he walked through a parking lot with a cane.
When asked by a reporter how he was feeling, Dick responded: "I'm pretty old."
Quizzed on his plans for his upcoming 99th birthday, Dick joked: "Just praying that I make it."
The 98-year-old's latest outing follows two cancelled public appearances this month: the 2024 Emmys and a fan event in Utah.
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Dick was due to appear at a three-day FanX event in Salt Lake City this month but sadly pulled out. The news was announced in a statement released by the organisers that read: "We are sorry to announce that Dick Van Dyke is not able to travel to FanX.
"He expresses his gratitude to all of those who continue to support him but, at almost 99 years of age, traveling and interacting with thousands of people is more than he is able to do at this time."
Dick was also due to appear at the 2024 Emmys as one of the event's A-list presenters but was sorely missed from the Peacock Theater in downtown Los Angeles, where the awards show was held on 16 September.
It comes just months after Dick became the oldest person ever to win a Daytime Emmy thanks to his recent guest appearance in Days of Our Lives.
"I feel like a spy from nighttime television," the performer said in his acceptance speech. "I'm the oldest nominee in history. I can't believe it. I was playing old men all my life. If I had known I was going to live this long, I would have taken better care of myself!"
Dick shared his "secret" to a long and healthy life during a recent interview with Entertainment Tonight. "I've often tried to think what did I do to live this long and I can't figure out," he admitted.
"The only thing is I've always exercised. [My wife Arlene Silver and I] still go to the gym three days a week and work out. And I believe that's the secret."
