Dick Van Dyke shares how he really feels about 46-year age gap with wife Arlene Silver: 'I had no idea'

Age is truly just a number for Dick Van Dyke , especially when it comes to his love story with wife Arlene Silver .

That especially rang true when the couple, who have a 46-year age gap, met back in 2006 at the SAG Awards, when the Mary Poppins actor was 81 and his wife was 35.

The pair, now 98 and 52, have been married since 2012, and the six-time Emmy winner jokes that he has the fact that he "didn't grow up" to thank for that.

Recently speaking with Entertainment Tonight , Dick reflected on his love story with Arlene, a make-up artist, which first started as a friendship after he, struck by her as soon as he saw her, decided to hire her.

Looking back on the moment, he confessed: "I never approached a strange woman in my life," however he added: "She walked by and I jumped and I said, 'Hi, I'm Dick.' I had no idea she was half my age. Beautiful."

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She only had one business card left, which he promptly took. Arlene, also reflecting on how their friendship turned into something more in 2011, and their age gap, explained: "We were friends for so long that when I told people that I know, they were happy about [our relationship]."

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Though she confessed she was initially "scared" about the near 50-year gap, she emphasized: "It's so irrelevant. I think when you see us together, it's like you don't think about it."

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"I was fortunate that I didn't grow up," Dick then joked, himself maintaining: "We were meant to be."

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"I've never met anyone like him," Arlene further gushed, adding: "He's always happy and just positive. Always singing, and I would never sing in public. He got me to sing. He got me to sing up on a stage and sang in front of 1,500 people for the first time. He's just the most joyful person. He influences everybody else to be more joyful, playful."

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At 98, Dick is still working, and making history — he recently made history as the oldest Daytime Emmys winner ever. Also speaking about what his "secret" to a long and healthy life might be, he admitted: "I've often tried to think what did I do to live this long and I can't figure out," before adding: "The only thing is I've always exercised. We still go to the gym three days a week and work out. And I believe that's the secret."

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He continued: "Most people at 98 years old don't really feel like working out and they seize up, you know? You get stiff and I'm still, you know, [moving] pretty well. And I think that must be the secret because I don't really watch my diet or anything. Stayed skinny. That helps."

Prior to his marriage to Arlene, Dick was married to Margie Willett , who passed away in 2008, from 1948 to 1984; they welcomed four children, Christian , 74, Barry , 72, Stacy , 68, and Carrie Beth , 62. In 1976, already separated from Margie, he started dating Michelle Triola Marvin , and the two were together until her death in 2009.