Dick Van Dyke has been forced to cancel his first public appearance outside Los Angeles in months due to his advanced age.
The iconic Mary Poppins actor, who turns 99 in December, was scheduled to appear at the three-day FanX event from September 26-29 in Salt Lake City, but has unfortunately canceled.
A statement from the organizers said: “We regret to inform you that Dick Van Dyke will not be able to travel to FanX.
“He expresses his gratitude to everyone who continues to support him, but at almost 99 years of age, traveling and dealing with thousands of people is more than he can do at this time.”
Van Dyke previously attended the event in 2017.
Dick Van Dyke has been forced to cancel his first public appearance outside Los Angeles in months due to his advanced age
The iconic Mary Poppins actor – who turns 99 in December – was scheduled to appear at the three-day FanX event from September 26-29 in Salt Lake City, but has unfortunately canceled
He was last seen in public earlier this month at the Creative Arts Emmy Awards and joked that he’s still “looking for work” before he turns 99.
The star attended the Fan Fusion convention in Phoenix in May.
The star tied Norman Lear’s record as the oldest Emmy winner, both at 98 years old (Lear in 2020).
He won Outstanding Variety Special for his 2023 birthday special, Dick Van Dyke 98 Years of Magic, at the Creative Arts Emmys on Saturday.
After receiving the award, Van Dyke told reporters (via People) that he hoped people would remember him for his ‘laughter’. He remained seated on the red carpet in the winner’s room.
‘I hope I’ve been making people laugh for 75 years. “I’ve been in the business for 75 years. I can’t believe I’m still here and performing,” he said.
The legendary comedian looked around the room and then joked, “I’m looking for work, if anyone has one.”
When asked what advice he would give to younger artists, he said: keep doing what you do.
“You have to persevere. You go through tough times and a lot of auditions … but you have to persevere,” Van Dyke said.
“Be patient if you have confidence in yourself, and it’s very important to believe that you can do it,” he added.
A statement from the organizers read: “We regret to inform you that Dick Van Dyke will not be able to travel to FanX.”
When asked what advice he would give to younger artists, he said they should stick to the craft.
“Be patient if you have confidence in yourself, and it’s very important to believe that you can do it,” he added
When Van Dyke accepted his award to loud applause at the Peacock Theater in downtown Los Angeles, he was very grateful.
“Thank you! That reception, I can’t tell you what it means,” he told the crowd at the beginning of his speech.
He was joined onstage by his wife, Arlene Silver, 52, who served as a producer on the Emmy-winning special.
“The young lady who received this award, if I use the word nepotism I would understand it, but this lady got the job as producer of the Dick Van Dyke special all by herself, because she knows me inside and out, knows how I work and doesn’t accept any rudeness from anyone,” he said of his wife.
Just a few months earlier, he made history again as the oldest winner of a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Performer on Days of Our Lives.
“This is a very different honor for me; I’m rarely recognized for my dramatic or straight acting work — comedy and musicals are, after all, my specialty,” he said.
“I feel extremely honored and it’s going to be a fun night celebrating with the entire daytime television community,” Van Dyke added.
He will soon be seen in the film Capture the Flag, opposite Louis Gossett Jr., John Amos, Barry Corbin and Paul Dooley.