Dick Van Dyke reflects on 'full and exciting life'

Dick Van Dyke has had a "wonderfully full and exciting life".

The Hollywood star will turn 100 on December 13, and Dick remains grateful for the opportunities that have come his way during the course of his career.

Dick told People: "When you expire, you expire. I don’t have any fear of death for some reason. I can’t explain that but I don’t. I’ve had such a wonderfully full and exciting life. That I can’t complain."

The legendary movie star credits his wife, Arlene, for his optimistic outlook.

He shared: "She's responsible for keeping me in the moment.

"She kept me happy every day of my life, every day. She's a joy. She can get me singing or dancing and she carries so much responsibility ... I'm just lucky."

The movie star - whose film credits include Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and Mary Poppins - feels proud of the legacy that he'll leave behind.

Dick said: "What I left in the way of children's entertainment and children's music — that’s my legacy.

"I don’t think remembering me is that important. But it’s the music, the music we leave behind. For as long as children are proudly belting out their new word, ‘Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious,’ or singing and skipping along to ‘Chim Chim Cher-ee,’ the most important part of me will always be alive."

Dick thinks his optimistic outlook is something that's always come naturally to him.

He said: "I think I’ve decided that people are born with an outlook.

"I just think I was born with a brighter outlook. I look at the horizon. I think some people are born just to have to fight against a downward spiral. And after 100 years, I think I’m right."

Despite this, Dick previously revealed that he "never planned" to become an actor.

He told New York Magazine: "My whole life was unplanned.

"Just the next opportunity that came along — one great thing after another. I never planned anything.

"One job led into another one, and I just kept working and enjoying it. I’m a ham. I don’t know, something happens and I come alive and I want to perform. I would have starved in any other business. Being on the stage — there’s nothing like it in the world for anyone who can experience it. I pity the people who can’t get on the stage. Good God, it was fun!"