Dick Van Dyke had "never approached a strange woman" before introducing himself to his future wife.

The 98-year-old Hollywood legend - who is known for his roles in the likes of 'Mary Poppins' and 'Chitty Chitty Bang Bang' - first met Arlene Silver, 52, backstage at the SAG Awards in 2006, and he was so struck by her beauty that he acted out of character.

He told Entertainment Tonight: "I never approached a strange woman in my life.

"And she walked by and I jumped and I said, 'Hi, I'm Dick.' I had no idea she was half my age. Beautiful."

He later found out she was a makeup artist, so took her last business card and hired her.

They became friends before it blossomed into a romance, and their longstanding bond meant their loved ones didn't care about the 46-year age gap.

She explained: "We were friends for so long that when I told people that I know, they were happy about [our relationship], and I was scared.

"I mean, the facts, our age difference. But it's so irrelevant. I think when you see us together, it's like you don't think about it."

The big screen veteran teased: "I was fortunate that I didn't grow up."

He added that their relationship was "meant to be", and Arlene moved in with him in 2011, before they got married in February 2012.

His "joyful" nature has had an impact on her, and she was even persuaded to "sing up on a stage", which is something she never expected.

She said: "I've never met anyone like him. 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."