Carol Burnett and Dick Van Dyke have emotional reunion at her handprint ceremony
It was a reunion of two icons.
Comedy giants and longtime friends Carol Burnett, 91, and Dick Van Dyke, 98 — both still going strong in their ninth decade — reunited on the red carpet Thursday.
In photos, they look like they’re in high spirits, hugging and sharing smiles.
They were gathered to celebrate as Burnett left her hand and footprints in cement at Hollywood’s TCL Chinese Theatre — joining past Hollywood stars such as Marilyn Monroe, Sidney Poitier and Van Dyke’s “Mary Poppins” co-star Julie Andrews.
Van Dyke’s prints were also there, as he left them in 1966.
Burnett joked around, pretending her hands got stuck in the cement.
“I can’t begin to count the times that my grandmother and I would walk up here to the Grauman’s Chinese — that’s what it was called then — and look at all the footprints and handprints of all these great movie stars,” Burnett said in her speech.
She added, “Betty Grable was one of my favorites, and I remember bending down and putting my hands on her handprints, never dreaming that someday I’d be putting my hands here… 80 years later.”
Van Dyke appeared in 11 episodes of “The Carol Burnett Show,” which aired from 1967 to 1978.
The “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang” star was there to toast and support his friend.
Other celebs there included Laura Dern, Bob Odenkirk and Jimmy Kimmel, who all spoke during the ceremony. Bill Hader, Allison Janney, Jane Lynch, Maya Rudolph and Lisa Ann Walter also attended.
Van Dyke was photographed dropping his cane at the event. He looked unfazed, smiling at the crowd, as Dern bent down to help him pick it up.
Later, he posed for photos with Burnett, who looked emotional to reunite with her old friend, as she linked arms with him. Both Van Dyke and Burnett were all smiles.
The event marked the latest accolade for Burnett in her long and storied career. Burnett, who is currently in AppleTV’s “Palm Royale,” has also gotten a slew of Emmys and Golden Globes, among other awards.
Van Dyke is also still working, lending his voice to a 2023 episode of “The Simpsons.” He also became the oldest Daytime Emmy winner in history, when he took home a trophy for a “Days of Our Lives” role on June 7.
“I don’t believe this. I feel like a spy from nighttime television,” he said at the time. “I’m 98 years old. Can you believe it? This really tops off a lifetime of 80 years in the business. If I had known I would have lived this long I would’ve taken better care of myself.”
After the ceremony, Burnett told “Entertainment Tonight” that it was “so lovely” to see all of the people who showed up to celebrate her.
She gushed that “what touches” her the most is when fans tell her that her show “cheered me up.”
