Getty Dick Van Dyke attends the 43rd annual Kennedy Center Honors on May 21, 2021 in Washington, DC.
Dick Van Dyke is one of the most iconic actors in Hollywood. He has spent more than 70 years in the entertainment industry. He is best known for roles in movies like Mary Poppins and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. His television sitcom The Dick Van Dyke Show ran on CBS in the 1960s.
According to Celebrity Net Worth, Van Dyke’s personal fortune was estimated to be as high as $50 million as of 2020.
Here’s what you need to know:
1. Dick Van Dyke Owns His Modest Childhood Home in Danville, Illinois
Van Dyke was born in December 1925. He spent his childhood in the small town of Danville, Illinois. (This is where his first wife, Margie Willett, also grew up).
Van Dyke’s family lived modestly during the Great Depression. He talked about his childhood in an interview with The Wall Street Journal in 2015. Van Dyke described the home at 930 N. Hazel St. in Danville as a “simple two-story frame house.” Van Dyke said his bedroom was upstairs and that he would sit on the roof during the summer. He commented, “There were no real comforts back then. You got by on so little.”
Van Dyke owns his childhood home. The AP reported in 2015 that the actor planned to renovate the house and turn it into a museum. He also planned to establish a scholarship foundation and make the house on North Hazel Street the headquarters.
The Commercial-News reported the house was estimated to need about $500,000 worth of renovations. It had been sitting abandoned before Van Dyke bought it. Van Dyke visited Danville in 2016 to host a fundraiser, which raised about $43,000.
But the project stalled. The Commercial-News reported in December 2020 that no renovations had yet been started at the house.
If the renovation is completed, Van Dyke will put in much more money than the house is worth. According to Zillow, the property was worth only a few thousand dollars as of 2015.
2. Van Dyke Bought His Malibu Home for $750,000 in 1986
RedfinDick Van Dyke bought his Malibu home in 1986.
Van Dyke has lived in Malibu for much of his adult life. According to The Day, Van Dyke bought his Malibu home from actress Margot Kidder in 1986. The publication described the house as a “modest, single-story home.”
InstantCheckmateDick Van Dyke bought his Malibu house from actress Margot Kidder.
A search of online records confirms Van Dyke purchased the property for $750,000 on August 1, 1986. The sale was recorded on September 12, 1986. According to Redfin, the house has about 2,200 square feet of living space and three bedrooms. Van Dyke first lived here with longtime partner Michelle Triola Marvin, who passed away in 2009.
The house was built in 1973 and sits on about one-third of an acre. It is located about one mile from the beach. Redfin estimates the house is currently valued at more than $5.2 million.
In 2015, Van Dyke explained to the Wall Street Journal that he moved to Malibu “after finding the cheapest property in the nicest neighborhood.” He described the house as having two bedrooms.
3. Van Dyke Previously Owned a Palatial Estate in Encino
Van Dyke has lived in a more modest home in Malibu for more than 30 years. But he used to own a sprawling mansion in Encino. Today, the median price for a house in this Los Angeles neighborhood is about $1.2 million, according to Realtor.com.
The Los Angeles Times described the house as an “Italian villa-style home.” The mansion has more than 12,000 square feet of living space. There is also a separate guest house.
It’s unclear how much Van Dyke received when he sold the property. Brazilian musician Sergio Mendes owned the mansion after Van Dyke moved out.
According to American Luxury, the mansion sold for $1.25 million in the late 1990s. It was listed for just under $9 million in the mid-2010s before the owner sold it for $6.5 million.
The listing agent further described the property in a press release about the 2016 sale:
Ideal for high-class entertaining, this Italian estate’s foyer opens to soaring ceilings and Italian Travertine floors, with amenities such as a formal circular dining room, chef’s kitchen, wine cellar, tasting room, and a full viewing theater with bar. Luxury living abounds in the formal living room with a stone fireplace, an elevator, maid’s quarters, study, library, and personal gym. The decadent master suite contains a fireplace, office, his and hers custom walk-in closets, and a spa-like bath. In addition, the Villa provides bedrooms with three additional en suite baths. Exterior grounds hold formal gardens, sprawling lawns and patios, a loggia, outdoor kitchen, tennis court, pool, spa, and full guesthouse. Perfectly located just south of the Boulevard with subterranean parking. Life doesn’t get more comfortable or luxurious than this.
4. Van Dyke Likes to Drive Jaguars & He Made Headlines in 2013 When His Vehicle Caught Fire
Van Dyke has an affinity for expensive vehicles. He told Access Hollywood he especially enjoys driving Jaguars. He bought another Jaguar after his previous model caught fire in 2013.
Van Dyke was driving on a Los Angeles freeway in August 2013 when he noticed smoke coming out of the front of the vehicle. Van Dyke told Access Hollywood his first call was to AAA but he hung up after noticing flames. He joked, “The funny thing is the fire department was there in about 12 minutes, the paparazzi were there in 10. They’ve got a network.”
Used Jag for sale REAL CHEAP!! http://t.co/SpQMsg3s2O
But Van Dyke did not immediately get out of the vehicle. A passerby named Jason Pennington pulled him out of the burning Jaguar. Pennington told CNN that when he first approached the car, Van Dyke appeared unfazed and appeared to be trying to gather belongings. Pennington said he yanked Van Dyke out of the car after he felt the heat from the flames.
Van Dyke’s wife, Arlene Silver, picked him up from the scene and he didn’t require medical attention. Van Dyke joked about the incident on Twitter. He posted a photo of the burned-out car and wrote, “Used Jag for sale REAL CHEAP!!”
5. Van Dyke Passed Out Cash to Job Seekers in 2021
Getty Dick Van Dyke attends the premiere of Disney’s “Mary Poppins Returns” at the El Capitan Theatre on November 29, 2018 in Los Angeles.
Van Dyke is a multi-millionaire but he’s never forgotten his roots or what it was like to struggle. In late March 2021, he made headlines for how he chose to give back to people who had lost jobs during the coronavirus pandemic.
Van Dyke was spotted outside the Malibu Community Labor Exchange. It’s a non-profit temp agency that helps people find jobs. According to The Daily Mail, Van Dyke stopped at the facility and handed out cash to people waiting to go inside. It wasn’t clear how much money Van Dyke gave away.
Van Dyke has long made it a habit to give back. According to Look to the Stars, Van Dyke has contributed to several charities over the years including the Cell Therapy Foundation, the Midnight Mission, the Screen Actors Guild Foundation, the Princess Grace Foundation and the TJ Martell Foundation.
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