What ever happened to the cast of 'The Dick Van Dyke Show'?

By Serge Stevens

One of the most beloved TV shows of the 1960s was a sitcom about a couple living in New Rochelle, New York, The Dick Van Dyke Show. Van Dyke had already established himself as a popular song-and-dance comedian, appearing in such hits as Bye Bye Birdie, Mary Poppins and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. Moore, who started out as a dancer (she was a dancing elf in Hotpoint appliance TV commercials in the 50s), had appeared in a number of situation comedies, prior to assuming the part of Laura Petrie, a thoroughly modern suburban housewife.

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The show also featured some really great character actors. We were wondering: What happened to the cast when the show wrapped in 1966. Where are they now?

Dick Van Dyke-Rob Petrie

After his enormously popular sitcom, Van Dyke starred in two more eponymous comedy shows: The New Dick Van Dyke Show and Van Dyke and Company. An admitted alcoholic, in 1997, Van Dyke was a regular on The Carol Burnett Show. He starred in another hit TV show, "Diagnosis: Murder," while garnering a variety of small film roles. In 2000, he began singing in an a cappella group, "Dick Van Dyke and the Vantastix." He became a computer animation nut after acquiring Commodore Amiga in 1991. In August 2013, his automobile caught fire, and he narrowly escaped injury. Rumors about the 88-year-old's failing health periodically circulate.

Mary Tyler Moore-Laura Petrie

Moore has made a career out of playing the bright, enthusiastic and somewhat naïve female character trying to find her way in a man's world. Following her Emmy-winning stint with Van Dyke, Moore was cast as Mary Richards, a small-town girl hoping to find fame, fortune -- and a husband -- in the big city world of Minneapolis, St. Paul, in the wildly popular Mary Tyler Moore Show. Her show held the record for the most Emmys: 29. While appearing sporadically in cameo roles on TV, she appeared in the gripping film, "Ordinary People," for which she was nominated for a Best Actress Academy Award. Her MTM Enterprises was responsible for producing TV hits, including "The Bob Newhart Show," "WKRP in Cincinnati," "The White Shadow," "St Elsewhere" and "Hill Street Blues." Like her early co-star, she revealed in one of two memoirs that she was a recovering alcoholic. When she was 33, Moore was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes. She has reportedly suffered heart and kidney problems and is nearly blind.

Rose Marie-Sally Rogers

A veteran of vaudeville and early radio and TV, Marie was one of the hard-boiled, wise-cracking writers on The Alan Brady Show. Following Van Dyke, she had a recurring role in "Murphy Brown," and co-starred with Rosemary Clooney, Helen O'Connell and Margaret Whiting in the musical revue, "4Girls4." She currently lives in New York City, and is 91-years old. Morey Amsterdam-Buddy Sorrell. Dubbed in the show "The Human Joke Machine," Amsterdam had a long career on stage, in radio and TV, prior to landing his Van Dyke part. After the show, he made sporadic appearances on TV, including Match Game, "The Hollywood Squares" and "Caroline in the City." He died from a fatal heart attack in 1996 at age 87.

Richard Deacon-Mel Cooley

On the show, Deacon played the toadying producer who was brother-in-law to the make-believe show's star, Alan Brady (played by Carl Reiner). Richard Deacon. His distinctive bald, dour visage appeared on countless TV sitcoms throughout the 60s and 70s. A renowned gourmet chef, he penned a series of cookbooks before passing away in 1984, at age 63.

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Carl Reiner-Alan Brady

Considered one of the funniest people alive, Reiner played the small but distinctive part of Alan Brady, the star of his own TV show. Since then, he's directed many hugely successful comedies, including Where's Poppa, Oh, God! and The Jerk. He's appeared in the remakes of the "Oceans Eleven" series, along with other movie and TV appearances. At age 92, the father of actor Rob Reiner currently resides in Beverly Hills, California.

Jerry Paris-Dr. Jerry Helper

As the Petrie's next-door dentist neighbor, Harris had a small role. Behind the camera, however, his role was much greater, as a frequent director. Since the show, he was one of Hollywood's busiest TV directors, on shows like "The Partridge Family," "Here's Lucy," "Happy Days," "Laverne & Shirley," "The Odd Couple" and "The Mary Tyler Moore Show." He directed two of the" Police Academy" films. Paris died of complications following brain surgery, in 1986. He was 60-years old.

Larry Matthews-Richie Petrie

Following his relatively brief stint on the show as the son of Rob and Laura, Matthews left show business to attend school, graduating from UCLA in 1976. He currently is a businessman, but has frequently appeared on TV discussing his experiences on the famous show.