Mary Poppins - Dick Van Dyke Thankful For New Wife's Support After Longtime Partner's Death

The movie veteran first met make-up artist Arlene Silver, who is 46 years his junior, at the Screen Actors Guild Awards in 2006, when he hired her to work on his next project.

Three years later, his love of 35 years, Triola, lost her battle with lung cancer, and Van Dyke reveals he would not have made it through the tough time without Silver, who provided a shoulder to cry on.

He tells People magazine, "Arlene would come by after work and bring me food. She was such a support, I fell in love."

The couple ultimately tied the knot last February (12), and the 87 year old insists married life has been nothing but bliss, adding, "It's gone by so fast. Every day is different."

And the actor, who has taken a short break to spend time with his wife, admits he's in no rush to get back to work: "I get scripts, but I don't 'get' today's sitcoms. I've got a lot of energy, but I won't do it if it isn't fun."