Dick Van Dyke has spent nearly a century bringing joy to audiences, and as he nears his 99th birthday, he is doing so once again, this time in an unexpected place. The legendary actor stars in Coldplay’s latest music video, offering an intimate, emotional reflection on aging, family, and the quiet grace of growing old.
Filmed in Van Dyke’s beachside home in Malibu, the seven-minute video accompanies Coldplay’s ballad All My Love. Rather than focusing on spectacle, the film invites viewers into the actor’s private world, where memories, movement, and music intertwine.
From the opening moments, Van Dyke speaks with striking honesty about mortality. “I’m acutely aware that I could go any day now,” he says calmly. “But I don’t know why it doesn’t concern me. I’m not afraid of it. I have the feeling that I’m gonna be alright.” The words land softly, not as resignation, but as reassurance.
The video was co-directed by Mary Wigmore and Spike Jonze, the Oscar-winning filmmaker behind Being John Malkovich, Her, and Adaptation. Their approach is understated and personal, allowing Van Dyke’s presence to carry the story. The camera follows him through his home, where he proudly displays keepsakes from a career that shaped generations of entertainment lovers.
Among the memorabilia is a life-size replica of Bert, the chimney sweep Van Dyke famously played in Mary Poppins. The figure stands not as a symbol of nostalgia, but as part of a life still very much in motion.
That sense of vitality becomes literal when Van Dyke recreates The Twizzle, a famously flexible routine from The Dick Van Dyke Show. Even now, his joy in movement remains unmistakable. Later, he dances barefoot on his patio with his wife, Arlene Silver, as Coldplay frontman Chris Martin sings nearby.
Yet the most emotional moments arrive when Van Dyke speaks about his children, Christian, Barry, Stacy, and Carrie Beth. Gazing at a photograph of his daughter Stacy as a child, he shares how she still visits him in dreams. “I’ve had dreams where I’m depressed or lonely or hurt, and she comes to comfort me,” he says. “She actually comes to comfort me.”
Later, the video fills with life as his extended family, children, grandchildren, and more, arrive at the house. They sing, dance, and surround him with laughter. Van Dyke tells Martin that one lyric from All My Love resonates deeply with him: “Until I die / Let me hold you if you cry.”
The video closes with a moment of pure spontaneity. Martin improvises a song for Van Dyke, who watches with childlike wonder as the music unfolds. “Have we got that on film?” he asks, amazed. “Can you believe this man?”
All My Love appears on Coldplay’s tenth studio album, Moon Music, which debuted at number one in October. The band has taken an unconventional approach to promoting the record, including surprise performances and playful public appearances. An earlier video for the song featured Martin walking through Las Vegas in disguise, singing karaoke and handing out balloons, an idea Van Dyke lightly echoes in his own clip.
In an interview on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, Martin revealed that he and Van Dyke are neighbors in California and have been friends for years. Of the collaboration, Martin said, “This really may be the most fun thing I’ve ever done. It makes me so grateful. It’s a big deal for me.”
The video premiered on Coldplay’s YouTube channel, with a shorter edit scheduled for release on December 13 to coincide with Van Dyke’s 99th birthday.
For an artist whose career includes Mary Poppins, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Bye Bye Birdie, and Diagnosis: Murder, this latest performance is quieter, but no less powerful. It’s not about revisiting old roles. It’s about presence, gratitude, and the beauty of still showing up.
At 99, Dick Van Dyke isn’t looking back with regret. He’s looking around, at family, at music, at life, and dancing right where he stands.
Watch the full video here:
Featured Image screenshot from Youtube: Coldplay