Buster Keaton and Stan Laurel were two of his comedy idols. Both became fans of Dick's classic TV series.
According to his book "Those Funny Kids: A Treasury of Classroom Laughter", by age 11 he had grown to 6'1".
Actively campaigned in Democrat Pierre Salinger's losing 1964 fight for senator against Republican George Murphy.
Almost graduated from Danville High School in Danville, Illinois, in 1944.
Although he had light brown hair when he was in his 30s and 40s, he had blonde hair as a child.
Although highly praised for his dancing in Mary Poppins (1964) and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (1968), Van Dyke was never trained as a dancer and did not begin dancing until he was in his thirties.
Although Van Dyke is now a committed non-smoker, he admits that he used to smoke 60 cigarettes a day.
At the beginning of the third season, "The New Dick Van Dyke Show" (1971) had moved production from Phoenix to Hollywood, where the change made a big improvement in the ratings, but was canceled because he no longer enjoyed working away from his home and did not want to continue the show without Carl Reiner.
Beat out Johnny Carson for the role of Rob Petrie on what later became "The Dick Van Dyke Show" (1961) .
Became a great-grandfather on July 26, 2001, when his grandson Carey Van Dyke (Barry Van Dyke's oldest child) and his wife Anne Van Dyke had a baby girl named Ava Van Dyke.
Before he was a successful actor and a comedian, he did everything from working in an advertising agency to becoming a disc jockey.
Before he was a successful actor, he used to work in a hotel.
Best known by the public for his starring roles as Rob Petrie on "The Dick Van Dyke Show" (1961) and as Dr. Mark Sloan on "Diagnosis Murder" (1993).
By the late 1980s it seemed that Van Dyke's career was over. However, his acclaimed performance as the District Attorney in Dick Tracy (1990) led to "Diagnosis Murder" (1993), which proved to be a big television comeback for the 67-year-old star.
Children: Christian Van Dyke, Barry Van Dyke, Stacy Van Dyke and Carrie Beth van Dyke. Grandchildren: Carey Van Dyke, Shane Van Dyke, Wes Van Dyke and Taryn Van Dyke. Great-granddaughter: Ava Van Dyke.
Created most of his own comedy routines and physical schticks on "The Dick Van Dyke Show" (1961).
Dabbled in computer animation since the 1980s. Using Newtek's Lightwave 3D from home, he created and animated a CG version of himself that he danced with on The Dick Van Dyke Show Revisited (2004) (TV).
Daughter Stacy Van Dyke guest starred on "Diagnosis Murder" (1993), in "Diagnosis Murder: Murder in the Family (#4.12)" (1996). Grandson Shane Van Dyke guest-starred in 14 episodes of "Diagnosis Murder" (1993).
Did not appear in his first movie until he was 36.
Didn't start dancing until he was 34.