Actor Dick Van Dyke Warned to Slow Down by Inner Circle as Grueling New Acting Gig Takes a Toll on His Health

Despite being 97 years old, Dick Van Dyke is busier than ever, especially with his new acting gig on Days of Our Lives. However, the actor’s inner circle is worried he’s taking on too much at his age.

Weeks after a car crash left him with a concussion, the Mary Poppins alum confirmed he will star on the daytime soap. "I said, 'Don't you have any parts for old people? Come on give me one.' And he took me seriously and got me a part!" Van Dyke told Access Hollywood.

“Everyone needs to butt out and leave him to enjoy the time he has left however he wants,” a source shared about the 10-hours-a-day role, per Radar.

As OK! previously reported, Van Dyke got into a single-car accident on March 15. When cops arrived, the legendary star was “bleeding from the nose and mouth” after his 2018 Lexus went into a gate after slipping on the road.

But he turned down going to the hospital at the time.

"The airbags did not deploy, so I just did a face plant right in the steering wheel," he recalled to a reporter, adding he had two stitches on her lower lip. "Other than that, just made me a little dumber, I guess."

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As a result, Van Dyke’s wife, Arlene Silver, 51, took action against her hubby to avoid any more accidents in the future.

“Dick’s gotten to the point where he needs to be taken off the road — for his own safety and the safety of others,” an insider said. “Arlene is terrified if she doesn’t take the keys away now, it may be too late!”

Though the two may have a tense relationship, Van Dyke is "determined to maintain his independence," the pal noted, adding that Van Dyke is "chafing" at Arlene’s concerns.

“She doesn’t want to press her luck,” the source stated. “She loves her husband very much and doesn’t want to see him die in the driver’s seat!”