I didn't even start dancing until I was in my thirties, and it was like flying.
I wanted to be Stan Laurel, then I wanted to be Fred Astaire and then Captain Kangaroo. I actually started out as a radio announcer when I was 17 and never left the business so that's literally 70 years.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote reflects Dick Van Dyke's journey and evolution within the entertainment industry, showcasing his admiration for various entertainment figures.
In this quote, Dick Van Dyke expresses his lifelong passion for performance, highlighting the influential figures in entertainment who inspired him throughout his career. Starting as a young radio announcer, he points out the trajectory of his career that has spanned over 70 years, emphasizing both his dedication to his craft and his admiration for iconic entertainers like Stan Laurel, Fred Astaire, and Captain Kangaroo. This reflects a deep appreciation for the art of performance and the impact it has had on his life.
Themes
In practice
Example use cases
In a motivational speech to young artists, one could use this quote to illustrate the importance of following one's inspirations.
More from Dick Van Dyke
All quotes →I get little kids who recognize me from 'Mary Poppins,' and it just delights me because it's our third generation.
Just knowing you don't have the answers is a recipe for humility, openness, acceptance, forgiveness, and an eagerness to learn - and those are all good things.
I never had a lot of drive, but because I had family responsibilities, I had a lot of tenacity - the tenacity of a drowning man.
Somebody asked what I wanted on my gravestone. I'm just going to put: 'Glad I Could Help.'
I was lucky to get the kinds of parts I wanted. I always said I didn't want to do anything my kids can't see.
Similar quotes
What I do is unusual: chordal movements that have never been used before, changing keys and modalities mid-song.
You want to make money, remake 'Cinderella.' You want to move people, remake the Hippolytus and Phaedra myth.
This much we know: Journalism is not a precise science. It's, on its best day, is a crude art. We make mistakes; I make mistakes. With more than 50 years as a journalist, I have at least had the opportunity to blow more stories, make more mistakes than maybe anybody in television.
Your best work is your expression of yourself. Now, you may not be the greatest at it, but when you do it, you're the only expert.
When you are painting you should take a flat mirror and often look at your work within it, and it will then be seen in reverse, and will appear to be by the hand of some other master, and you will be better able to judge of its faults than in any other way.
I have had three masters, Nature, Velasquez, and Rembrandt.