ISLAMABAD MARCH 25 (ONLINE): Hollywood legend Dick Van Dyke revealed he is ‘sore all over’ after ‘faceplanting into his steering wheel’ and sustaining moderate injuries from crashing his Lexus LS 500 into a gate in Malibu last week.
On his first public sighting since the scary collision, which left him with a painful lip laceration and two stitches, the 97-year-old actor appeared chipper as he received a ride around town from his wife Arlene Silver, 51, in an exclusive DailyMail.com video captured on Friday.
After getting out of the passenger’s seat, the Mary Poppins star detailed how he face-planted straight into his steering wheel as a result of his airbag failing to deploy.
‘I’m fine, just sore all over,’ he told photographers when asked how his recovery was going. ‘The airbag did not deploy, so I just did a face plant right into the steering wheel and it just made me a little dumber.’
The vivacious performer then showed off his busted lip, before musing: ‘I’m 97, all my friends are dead.’
He also credited his spouse for taking great care of him, and stated ‘without her’ he would ‘probably be dead.’
The makeup artist, who tied the knot with the four-time Emmy winner in 2012, six years after they met at the SAG Awards, wore a red-and-black striped blouse under a quilted vest, tan UGG boots and a turquoise purse.
Meanwhile, her husband wore a navy-and-white long-sleeve shirt, camouflage trousers and black sneakers.
The Chitty Chitty Bang Bang alumnus reportedly skidded in the rain and lost control of his vehicle.
Van Dyke was treated at the scene by paramedics, as he was suffering from a bloody nose and mouth as well as a possible concussion. He was not sent to the hospital and was instead picked up by a friend and driven home.
Sources told TMZ that neither drugs nor alcohol were involved in the crash, but police officers have requested a driving retest for Van Dyke due to his age.
The crash came ten years after Van Dyke was pulled from his Jaguar after it caught fire on the 101 freeway in Calabasas area of LA on August 19, 2013.
A man named Jason Pennington saved the day after spotting the car full of smoke on the side of the road.
Mr Pennington told TMZ at the time that he saw an elderly man hunched over the wheel of the vehicle and rushed to the scene.
He pulled up and saw the actor struggling inside after running over to the smoking car.
Van Dyke did not require medical attention after the incident, although he was apparently slightly disoriented.
Wednesday’s crash came just weeks after the actor credited his wife, 51-year-old make-up artist Arlene Silver, as the key to his youthfulness.
Dick married Silver — who is nearly half his age — in 2012 and previously revealed the couple keep fit by singing and dancing together.
His stamina was showcased during his recent stint on The Masked Singer US, where he delighted audiences with his performance as the Gnome.
Speaking about the key to his energy, Van Dyke told Yahoo: ‘Genes, I guess, for one thing. Having a beautiful young wife half my age to take care of me — that works!
‘My positive attitude, I get that from my wife.’
He went on to note: ‘And one other thing is, I wrote a book called Keep Moving. I still go to the gym three days a week and work out.
‘And I advise everybody to do that, because that’s what ages people — it’s just a stiffening up and not exercising their muscles and their lungs. Exercise is the answer.’
As talk turned to his work on the mystery singing competition The Masked Singer, he quipped: ‘Oh, it was so funny. It was the weirdest experience. They have a great crew there, and they took good care of me, but the minute I got out of the car, they covered my head!
‘I never got to meet or see anybody! I’m going to have to go back and meet them in person, because nobody ever saw me and I never saw them. It was weird.’
The legendary entertainer performed a fun rendition of When You’re Smiling by Frank Sinatra on the show and left panelist Nicole Scherzinger, 44, in tears when he revealed his identity.
In December the actor turned 97 and jokingly told DailyMail.com: ‘Well, if I’d known I was going to live this long I’d have taken better care of myself!’
Asked what his secret is to a long and healthy life, he laughed and added: ‘Well, I don’t know, all my friends are dead so I’m not going to complain!’
Van Dyke, whose onscreen career spans seven decades, remains active and lively despite his old age, as he is often seen out and about in his Malibu neighborhood, typically making trips to the drugstore or supermarket on his own. He is frequently spotted behind the wheel of his silver Lexus.
In October last year, the beloved actor was seen handing out cash to job seekers and chatting with the homeless in Malibu.
He stopped by his favorite nonprofit organization, Malibu Community Labor Exchange, which helps match employers and those looking for work.
The actor handed out $5 bills and took the time to chat with several workers and spread joy to homeless people nearby.
‘Whenever I have some fives I come by,’ Dick said. ‘You can’t do it all the time, though.’
Van Dyke is a grandfather to seven and has four children with ex-wife Margerie Willet — whom he married on the radio show Bride and Groom in 1948 before divorcing 36 years later.
His long-time companion Michelle Triola Marvin passed away in 2009 after they had lived together for 30 years.
Van Dyke is only an Oscar away from elite EGOT status, and served in the US Army during the Second World War.
Aside from Mary Poppins, he is also known for his memorable roles in The Dick Van Dyke Show (1961–66), Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (1968) and most recently, Mary Poppins Returns (2018).
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