Dick Van Dyke will guest-star on Days of Our Lives this fall

Dick Van Dyke is 97 years old and has been in show business for decades, but there are still some things he hasn't tried. One of those things included appearing on a soap opera. This fall, however, that'll change.

The acting icon has revealed that he'll pop up on Days of Our Lives after having a chance encounter with cast member Drake Hogestyn.

"Drake and I went to the same gym together," Van Dyke told Access Hollywood in a recent interview. "I used to kid him, 'Say, don't you ever have any parts for old people? Come on, give me a part!' And he took me seriously! He got me a part."

Van Dyke will play an old man with amnesia, a perfect fit for the world of soap operas, later this year.

"I have played old men before, but 'comedy old men,'" Van Dyke said. "This is the first time I ever just played my 97-year-old self."

Fellow comedian Carol Burnett, who had a recurring role on All My Children back in the '80s, shared a piece of advice with Van Dyke about soap-opera acting: "Make sure you know all your lines because they don't do retakes."

Van Dyke got into a small car accident in Malibu in March, but he doesn't seem too rattled from it. He's been quite active on screen, having recently appeared on The Masked Singer disguised as the Gnome.

Day of Our Lives now streams on Peacock. Watch Van Dyke's interview above.

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