Dick Van Dyke is a beloved actor whose career has spanned decades and given the world iconic characters like Bert in "Mary Poppins" – but his greatest role to date is a father to his four children.
The 99-year-old, who celebrated his birthday on December 13, welcomed sons Christian and Barry and daughters Stacy and Carrie Beth with his late ex-wife, Margie Willett, who died of pancreatic cancer in 2007.
Van Dyke and Willett were married for 36 years, separating in 1981 before officially divorcing in 1984, but despite their split, he credits her for raising "great" children.
"Margie did the work, but I will take some credit," he told The Guardian in 2016, adding that their kids turned out to be "truly admirable," despite growing up with an alcoholic father.
He added to the publication: "I tried to be a good role model to my children, but I was an alcoholic for 25 years, which inevitably impacted on family life. When I went into therapy, I realized I was repeating my father's mistakes."
Van Dyke is also a grandfather and great-grandfather of several children and admitted last year that he is "grateful" he has lived long enough to meet them all.
© Instagram"I never realized when I was first having kids what I was starting. But, I'm amazed and grateful to have lived long enough to spend Father's Day with some of my kids, grandchildren AND great grandchildren!! All wonderful, non-toxic people!!" he wrote on Instagram last Father's Day.
Meet Dick Van Dyke's four children below…
Christian Van Dyke, 74
© Getty ImagesThe eldest of Van Dyke's children, Christian, made his acting debut in a 1962 episode of "The Dick Van Dyke Show", playing the character of Frankie, and appeared as himself in the 1964 short, "Hollywood Goes to a World Premiere".
However, he didn't stick around in showbusiness, opting to pursue law instead and earning a law degree from Arizona State University. In 1981, he was appointed district attorney in Marion County, Oregon.
© Getty ImagesChristian has largely kept his personal life under wraps. He was first married to his wife Caroline Heller. Their daughter Jessica died aged 13 in 1987 after suffering complications from Reye's syndrome, which causes swelling in the brain and liver. The tragic incident inspired Van Dyke to star in several commercials to spread awareness about the disease.
Christian and Caroline separated and in 1988, he married Christine Shihadeh, who he has been with since. It's unknown if they have any other children.
Barry Van Dyke, 73
© Getty ImagesPossibly the most well-known of the Van Dyke children, Barry is an actor just like his dad, making his TV debut on "The Dick Van Dyke Show" and "The New Dick Van Dyke Show" in the '60s and '70s.
His most well-known credit, however, is detective Steve Sloan on the action-comedy-murder "Diagnosis: Murder", which ran from 1993-2001 and also starred his famous dad. Many of their family members made cameos on "Diagnosis: Murder" as well.
© Getty ImagesSpeaking about his dad in 1987, Barry said: "He was a terrific father. He was very much a child in a man's body and was attuned to us all the time. He gave me great things: How to make the right choices, how to be your own person. Those things meant enough to me that I am gladly and proudly passing them on to my children."
Barry has been married to Mary Carey since 1974, and they're parents to Carey, 48, Shane, 45, Wes, 40, and Taryn, 38. Through their four children, Barry and Mary are also grandparents to eight.
While all of Barry and Mary's children have tried their hands at showbusiness, Carey and Shane have been the most successful as actors and writers, even writing a spec script in 2019 which eventually became Olivia Wilde's 2022 film "Don't Worry Darling".
Stacy Van Dyke, 69
© InstagramStacy, who was born around 1955, has kept her life mostly away from the spotlight compared to her siblings, only making minor appearances in "The New Dick Van Dyke Show" in 1971, and "Diagnosis: Murder" in 1996.
Instead, she pursued music, performing with the group the Barnstormers in the '70s in Arizona, where she lives now.
© InstagramIt was reported in 1979 that she married Barnstormers member Mike Breen, a singer-songwriter and guitarist, and they have two children, with their son Ryan also following in their footsteps as a musician.
Carrie Beth Van Dyke2, 63
© Getty ImagesThe youngest of the Van Dyke siblings, born in 1961, Carrie Beth also kept her life out of the spotlight, making two appearances in The New Dick Van Dyke Show in the '70s as well.
Like her sister, she married a musician, Kevin McNally, who also played a recurring role in Diagnosis: Murder. She and her sister Stacy's families share a close relationship, as evidenced by their social media.
© InstagramShe and Kevin are parents to two children as well, a son and a daughter, with their son Tyler also working as a musician and producer.
