Dick Van Dyke had ‘no idea’ how young his wife actually was when they first met

Dick Van Dyke has revealed he had ‘no idea’ how old his wife Arlene Silver was when they met while addressing their 46-year age gap.

Despite being 98, legendary Hollywood actor Van Dyke doesn’t appear to be slowing down any time soon.

In the last decade alone, he’s starred in movies such as Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb and Mary Poppins Returns as well as appearing in four episodes of Days of Our Lives.

Dick Van Dyke and Arlene Silver have been married for 12 years. (Monty Brinton/CBS via Getty Images)

But when he’s not parading on screen, the actor lives a quiet life in Malibu with his spouse, Silver, 52.

The pair, who have been married for 12 years, first met at the 12th Screen Actors Guild Awards and initially became friends.

However, following the death of Van Dyke’s partner Michelle Triola in 2009, the pair later struck up a relationship.

In 2011 the make-up artist moved in with the actor and a year later the couple said ‘I do’ in a private Malibu-based ceremony.

In a new interview, the father-of-four has opened out about their meeting, revealing what he said to Silver backstage at the 2006 SAG Awards.

The event, held at the Los Angeles Shrine Auditorium and Exposition Hall, saw the likes of the late Philip Seymour Hoffman and Reese Witherspoon walking away with the top gongs.

The Hollywood icon said he initially had 'no idea' how old Silver was when they met. (Christopher Polk/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images)

However, when Van Dyke was backstage, he apparently only had eyes for Silver.

Recounting their meet-cute, the Tony Award-winner claimed: "I never approached a strange woman in my life and she walked by and I jumped and I said, 'Hi, I'm Dick.' I had no idea she was half my age. Beautiful."

"She had one [business] card left, which I took and hired her," he added.

In 2013, Silver told the Huffington Post that she wasn’t ‘familiar’ with most of Van Dyke’s work when they first met and that she ‘wasn’t sure’ why she knew him.

“I knew who he was but I wasn’t sure why I knew who he was,” she explained. “I was not familiar with all his work. He has so much work I can’t believe I missed it.”

Years later, the couple’s friendship blossomed into a romance; a decision Silver was initially ‘scared’ to tell their pals about.

She admitted: “We were friends for so long that when I told people that I know, they were happy about [our relationship], and I was scared.

The actor claims his and Silver's 46-year age difference is 'irrelevant'. (Instagram/@official_dick_van_dyke)

“I mean, the facts, our age difference. But it’s so irrelevant. I think when you see us together, it’s like you don’t think about it.”

She added that she has ‘never met’ anyone like the Chitty Chitty Bang Bang talent before.

“He’s always happy and just positive. Always singing, and I would never sing in public,” she explained.

“He got me to sing up on a stage and sang in front of 1,500 people for the first time. He’s just the most joyful person. He influences everybody else to be more joyful, playful.”