Dick Van Dyke story

He went anyway.

The show became The Dick Van Dyke Show, and it changed television comedy forever. His loose-limbed physical humor, warmth, and humility made him feel like someone you already knew—someone who tripped over the ottoman but laughed at himself while getting back up.

Years later, when people asked him about success, Dick often said it came down to timing, kindness, and not taking yourself too seriously. He credited his longevity not to talent alone, but to joy—choosing joy even when things were uncertain.

And if you watch him dance well into his later years, that joy is still there, smiling back at the world.