The Truth About Dick Van Dyke's Talented Kids
Dick Van Dyke has been an American icon for seven decades, thanks to his classic dance moves and wholesome humor. He has won over children thanks to Disney's Mary Poppins and continued to work well into his 70s on hit shows like Diagnosis: Murder (per IMDb). The actor got his big break in 1960 via his memoir, My Lucky Life In and Out of Show Business, which retold the story about his audition for a small part in Bye Bye Birdie (via Backyard Bend). If you can believe it, Van Dyke had no dance experience but won the team over with his song and impromptu soft-shoe dance. The musical earned him a Tony Award for Best Featured Actor. But talent doesn't fall too far from the tree, as all four of his children are also in show business. According to Closer Weekly, Van Dyke always put his four children first and was thrilled to share the family legacy with Christian Van Dyke, Barry Van Dyke, Carrie Beth Van Dyke, and Stacy Van Dyke.
All in the family
Even though the Chitty Chitty Bang Bang actor ended his marriage to Margie Willet in1984 after an affair, he still had the apples of his eye to keep him going (per Country Living). Christian Van Dyke is the actor's oldest son, who started out his acting career on his father's self-named family sitcom, The Dick Van Dyke Show, back in 1961. But the acting bug didn't last long, and Glamour Path revealed that Christian had become a district attorney for Marion County, Oregon, and worked with Nike on multiple marketing campaigns.
The second oldest, Barry Van Dyke, may be the most well-known out of all four kids, since he starred opposite his father in Diagnosis: Murder (per Affair Post). Barry also worked with his father in 1971 on The New Dick Van Dyke Show as an assistant, where he got his first acting gig as an extra. When the show came to an end, he got his chance to work on solo gigs like Gemini Man and Wonder Woman. Barry's first prominent role came in the form of Lieutenant Dillon on Galactica 1980.
It's a family business
The third in line is Van Dyke's daughter, Carrie Beth, who also dipped her toe into the acting world. Like her brothers before, she also appeared on The New Dick Van Dyke Show in 1971 (per Glamour Path). Carrie Beth faded from the limelight and does not keep up with social media, so not much is known regarding if she still acts. She did marry Kevin McNally and they had two children together. Stacy Van Dyke is the youngest of the four siblings, and, you guessed it, she too also got bitten by the acting bug and appeared on her father's show. Unlike her siblings, her role led to a gig on The Mike Douglas Show years later, in 1979 (via Article Bio). Stacy's last role was in 2002's Diagnosis Murder: Town Without Pity. But, for the most part she stays out of the line of the cameras and enjoys a more reclusive life.
The 95-year old is still thriving and acting today, even though his children have all pretty much hung up their acting shoes, and with a net worth of over $30 million, it doesn't look like he has any plans to stop (via The Richest). Even though the four children may have fallen out of love with acting, Van Dyke has multiple grandchildren who are looking to make it big in Hollywood, proving the love of the art doesn't just go away (via Fabiosa).