On television, he became a household name in the United States and Canada portraying Rob Petrie in the CBS sitcom The Dick Van Dyke Show (1961–1966), which also earned him three Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series.

In his later years, Van Dyke has taken supporting roles in films such as Dick Tracy (1990), Curious George (2006), Night at the Museum (2006), its 2014 sequel, and Mary Poppins Returns (2018).

[10] Van Dyke left high school during his senior year to join the United States Army Air Forces for pilot training during World War II.

[16] In 1947, Van Dyke was persuaded by pantomime performer Phil Erickson[17] to form a comedy duo called "Eric and Van—the Merry Mutes.

"[18] The team toured the West Coast nightclub circuit, performing a mime act and lip synching to 78 rpm records.

They moved to Atlanta, Georgia, in the early 1950s and performed on a local television show featuring original skits and music called "The Merry Mutes".

[19] Van Dyke's start in television was with WDSU-TV New Orleans Channel 6 (NBC), first as a single comedian and later as emcee of a comedy program.

He also appeared early in his career on ABC's The Pat Boone Chevy Showroom and NBC's The Polly Bergen Show.

The production was a revue in two acts and featured performances from Van Dyke, Shelley Berman, Bert Lahr, Nancy Walker among many others.

[23] Complementing Van Dyke was a veteran cast of comic actors including Rose Marie, Morey Amsterdam, Jerry Paris, Ann Morgan Guilbert, Richard Deacon, and Carl Reiner (as Alan Brady), as well as 24-year-old Mary Tyler Moore, who played Rob's wife Laura Petrie.

"[29] Ken Tucker of Entertainment Weekly reviewed the series following its Blu-ray boxset release in 2012 writing, "The Dick Van Dyke Show certainly wasn't the first sitcom featuring a lead character who presided over a TV-show-within-the-TV-show — Jack Benny's The Jack Benny Program, among others, had beaten Van Dyke to that.

In 1964, Van Dyke was cast in two roles in Walt Disney's Mary Poppins: as Bert, a man who goes through multiple odd jobs, ultimately and memorably becoming a chimney sweep; and as bank chairman Mr. Dawes Senior.

with Shirley MacLaine, Lt. Robin Crusoe, U.S.N., Fitzwilly, The Art of Love with James Garner and Elke Sommer, Some Kind of a Nut, Never a Dull Moment with Edward G. Robinson, and Divorce American Style with Debbie Reynolds and Jean Simmons.

But he also starred as Caractacus Potts (with his native accent, at his own insistence, despite the English setting) in the successful musical version of Ian Fleming's Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (1968), which co-starred Sally Ann Howes and featured the same songwriters (the Sherman Brothers) and choreographers (Marc Breaux and Dee Dee Wood) as Mary Poppins.

Van Dyke portrayed a self-destructive silent film era comedian who struggles with alcoholism, depression, and his own rampant ego.

Clayton Brooks, a small-town minister who leads his Iowa town to quit smoking for 30 days in order to win $25 million (equal to $207,713,249 today) from a tobacco company.

In 1970, he published Faith, Hope and Hilarity: A Child's Eye View of Religion a book of humorous anecdotes based largely on his experiences as a Sunday School teacher.

In 1987, he guest-starred in an episode of Airwolf, with his son Barry Van Dyke, who was the lead star of the show's fourth and final season on USA Network.

[48] On Larry King Live, Van Dyke mentioned that he turned down the lead role in The Omen which was played by Gregory Peck.

Twenty-one years later in 1990, Van Dyke, whose usual role had been the amiable hero, took a small but villainous turn as crooked DA Fletcher in Warren Beatty's film Dick Tracy.

Fletcher in Dick Tracy led him to star as the character Dr. Mark Sloan first in an episode of Jake and the Fatman, then in a series of TV movies on CBS that became the foundation for his popular television drama Diagnosis: Murder.

Van Dyke and his surviving cast members recreated their roles; although nominated for a Primetime Emmy,[54][55][better source needed] the program was roundly panned by critics.

Van Dyke returned to motion pictures in 2006 with Curious George as Mr. Bloomsberry and as villain Cecil Fredericks in the Ben Stiller film Night at the Museum.

In 2010, Van Dyke appeared on a children's album titled Rhythm Train, with Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith and singer Leslie Bixler.

The album, Step (Back) In Time, was produced by Bill Bixler (who also played sax), with arrangements by Dave Enos (who also played bass) and features noted musicians John Ferraro (drums), Tony Guerrero (trumpet & vocal duet), Mark LeBrun (piano), Charley Pollard (trombone) and Leslie Bixler (vocals).

Step (Back) In Time was released by BixMix Records and showcases Van Dyke in a jazz and big band setting on classic songs from the 1920s, 1930s and 1940s.

[67] Entertainers who have cited Van Dyke as an influence include Steve Martin, Chevy Chase, Conan O'Brien, Jim Carrey, and Bryan Cranston.

[68] On February 12, 1948, while appearing at the Chapman Park Hotel on Wilshire Boulevard in Los Angeles, Van Dyke and the former Margerie Willett were married on the radio show Bride and Groom.

[10] On August 19, 2013, it was reported that the 87-year-old Van Dyke was rescued from his Jaguar by a passerby after the car had caught fire on the US 101 freeway in Calabasas, Los Angeles County.

[43] In April 2013, Van Dyke revealed that for seven years he had been experiencing symptoms of a neurological disorder, in which he felt a pounding in his head whenever he lay down.