Dick Van Dyke, 98, cancels public appearance after skipping Emmys: ‘Traveling’ is ‘more than he’s able to do at this time’
He needs a spoon full of sugar.
Dick Van Dyke, 98, has canceled another planned public appearance after the “Mary Poppins” star first skipped the 2024 Emmys on Sept. 15.
Van Dyke, who will turn 99 in December, was scheduled to appear at the three-day FanX event in Salt Lake City, Utah, from Sept. 26 to 28; however, the event organizers announced on Monday that he had to cancel.
The announcement read, “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.”
Via the award website, the TV Academy and ABC on Sept. 9 confirmed that the “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang” star would participate in the 2024 Emmys.
Van Dyke’s most recent public appearance was on Sept. 7 at the 2024 Creative Arts Emmys, where his CBS special “Dick Van Dyke 98 Years of Magic” won for Outstanding Variety Special.
“The Dick Van Dyke Show” star took pictures sitting in a chair with an Emmy statue in his hand. He wore a black suit with a white dress shirt and a black bowtie.
His wife, Arlene Silver, 53, wore a glittering dress to the event.
Despite his special winning an Emmy, Van Dyke himself didn’t take home a statue since he wasn’t a producer on the project, per Variety.
The special, which aired in December, featured archival footage and live performances of songs from Van Dyke’s remarkable career.
One of Van Dyke’s most iconic roles was “Mary Poppins,” where he played Bert, the cockney-accented chimney sweeper.
In December 2023, during the “Dick Van Dyke 98 Years of Magic CBS” special, Julie Andrews recalled meeting Van Dyke while shooting the 1964 Disney musical.
“As I arrived on that very first day, Dick was already working with the choreographers and the dancers,” Andrews explained.
She reminisced at how “young, fit as can be and really gorgeous to look at” Van Dyke was at the time.
“I’d never made a movie before, and I’d given birth to my lovely daughter Emma nearly six weeks earlier, and I quickly realized that I had better pull my socks up and get in shape,” she said.
The “Princess Diaries” star added: “I found it pretty daunting, I can tell you. Dick could not have been kinder, more genuinely sweet and helpful. I like to think that we did bond instantly. How lucky I was to have him by my side for my first venture in Hollywood.”
Silver is Van Dyke’s second wife. He was married to Margie Willett from 1948 to 1984, with whom he has four kids. He tied the knot with Silver in 2012. Before his second wife, he also had a long-term relationship lasting over three decades with Michelle Triola until she died in 2009.
Van Dyke’s career has kept going strong in his ninth decade.
He appeared on “The Masked Singer” in 2023 and won a Daytime Emmy in 2024 for his role in “Days of Our Lives,” becoming the oldest winner in history.
“I don’t believe this. I feel like a spy from nighttime television,” he said after winning. “I’m 98 years old. Can you believe it? This really tops off a lifetime of 80 years in the business. If I had known I would have lived this long, I would’ve taken better care of myself.”
The Post reached out to Van Dyke’s rep for comment.
