On the evening of June 7th, local time in the United States, legendary film and television actor Dick Van Dyke once again made history. The 98-year-old won the 2024 Daytime Emmy Award for Best Guest Actor for his outstanding performance in the series "Days of Our Lives" broadcast on the streaming platform Peacock, becoming the oldest person to win a Daytime Emmy Award.
Dick Van Dyke plays a mysterious 98-year-old man with amnesia in Days of Our Lives.
As the name suggests, the Daytime Emmy Awards is designed to honor various television programs and related artists broadcast during the daytime in the United States. Although its influence is not as great as the Primetime Emmy Awards, it has also attracted great attention from the American media and Hollywood industry insiders since its establishment in 1974. In 2023, due to the Hollywood union strike, the awards ceremony was postponed to the end of the year.
This year's 51st Daytime Emmy Awards will be held in June as usual, and will be broadcast live by CBS. Of course, the Daytime Emmy Awards, which once attracted more than 20 million viewers, has seen a sharp decline in ratings, just like the Oscars, Golden Globes and other industry events, with only two to three million viewers in recent years.
The highlight of this year's Daytime Emmy Awards was Dick Van Dyke's record-breaking win. Born on December 13, 1925 in Missouri, the 98-year-old has been active on the screen for 80 years. Although he has appeared in a small number of films, his performances in the two family-friendly films Mary Poppins (1964) and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (1968) have left a deep impression on audiences around the world.
Dick Van Dyke in Mary Poppins
Last year, he guest-starred in four episodes of the 59th season of the American daytime soap opera Days of Our Lives, playing a mysterious 98-year-old man with amnesia. This performance was recognized by many colleagues, and he won the Daytime Emmy Award for the second time in his life. When he went on stage to receive the award, he proudly said, "I am 98 years old this year, can you believe it? Thank you very much, this moment is the pinnacle of my 80-year acting career!"
In today's Hollywood, there are only a handful of actors born in the 1990s like Dick Van Dyke. Mel Brooks, 97, made a cameo appearance in the American TV series "Murder in the Building" last year; Clint Eastwood, 94, is expected to release his new directorial work "Juror No. 2" this year after a three-year absence; and Michael Caine, 91, has officially announced his retirement from the screen.
When he was young, Dick Van Dyke was said to be a heavy smoker and drinker, but after middle age, he gave up both alcohol and smoking. When talking about his secret to longevity, he once said that even though he is nearly 100 years old, he still goes to the gym every day to exercise as long as his body allows - "Life lies in exercise, and I believe this is the key to my longevity."
