Richard Wayne Van Dyke is an American actor, comedian, singer, dancer and writer. His work spans screen and stage, and his awards include six Emmy Awards, a Grammy Award, and a Tony Award. He was inducted into the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1993, and then the Television Hall of Fame in 1995. He was recognized as a Disney Legend in 1998. He has been honored with the Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award in 2013, and the Kennedy Center Honors in 2020.
Van Dyke began his career as an entertainer on radio, television and in nightclubs. He made his Broadway debut in the musical revue The Girls Against the Boys (1959). The following year he starred as Albert F. Peterson in the original production of Bye Bye Birdie (1960), a role which earned him the Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Musical. He returned to Broadway playing Harold Hill in a revival of The Music Man (1980).
On television, Van Dyke 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.