Dick Van Dyke learns new musical skill at 97 in adorable new Instagram post
He's hosted TV shows. He's acted in movies. He's performed on Broadway. And now, American TV legend Dick Van Dyke is adding another performance skill to his repertoire — the 97-year-old is learning how to play the ukulele.
An adorable new video posted to the star's Instagram shows him fingering the small string instrument, trying desperately to find an "F" chord. "Where's the F?" he can be heard asking his instructor, Melanie Kareem, from Get Started Playing Ukulele, a beginner's class the celebrity seemingly enrolled himself in.
In the video, he appears to be trying to play a short tune, which almost sounds like the beginning of "Be Our Guest" from Disney's "Beauty and the Beast." Those around him also struggled through chords, sharing in their experiences with the performer.
Dick Van Dyke is known for several of his acting roles from the 1960s as well as TV shows he hosted (Getty Images)
Dick Van Dyke's Instagram post was seen as an inspiration to many (DAILY MIRROR)Van Dyke captioned his post: "My first ukulele lesson with @getstartedplayingukulele. @bijoubox's third." User @bijoubox is his wife, makeup artist and producer Arlene Silver.
He ends the caption by writing: "It's never too late to start something new." The post garnered over 56,000 views and hundreds of comments, most of which lauded the legend on his inspirational tenacity.
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"There is a special place for this amazing soul, incomparable grace, kindness and talent," wrote the account for Cahuilla Creek Motocross. "As long as you don’t break it over your head and get amnesia… Antonio Stradivarius," added @thevigilfamily, who put a laughing emoji. Antonio Stradivari was an esteemed Italian crafter of string instruments who lived in the late 1600s and early 1700s. "We adore you!" they concluded.
One user, Juli Sweeton Richey, wrote a heartfelt message to the actor: "At almost 53, I feel like I’m too old to take piano lessons. Seeing you try this, encourages me. You continue to bring joy into my life. Thank you."
Several other commenters called Van Dyke a legend and an inspiration, echoing Richey's statement or sharing their own stories about trying new things at older ages.
The Instagram post is also a testament to the "Bye Bye Birdie" actor's perseverance through the years. Earlier this year, he was revealed as the Gnome on the US version of "The Masked Singer," where he was known for energetic performances.
Dick Van Dyke tries to stay healthy by going to the gym three times a week with wife Arlene Silver (WireImage)
The ukulele is set to become just one of Dick Van Dyke's many talents (DAILY MIRROR)About a month later, he was in a car accident in Malibu that left him a little bloody and with a concussion, but he snapped back quickly, announcing a month after that that he'd be starring in a new role in a soap opera.
In 2018, he starred in "Mary Poppins Returns," and in the last decade, he has endured a couple more car accidents and other scares, but he's bounced back every time.
The "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang" star reportedly goes to the gym three days a week with Silver.
In an interview with Yahoo! in February, Van Dyke said he attributes his sprightliness to good genes and to his "beautiful young wife" who is half his age who takes care of him.
He married Silver in 2012 when he was around 81 and she was about 36.
His most notable roles include starring on "The Dick Van Dyke Show" from 1961 to 1966, in "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang" in 1968 and in both the original "Mary Poppins" from 1964 and "Mary Poppins Returns" in 2018.
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Van Dyke has earned Emmys, a Grammy and a Tony, but not yet an Oscar that would give him EGOT status.
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