Barry Van Dyke is an American actor, writer, and director. As an actor, he is best known for his role in the crime thriller/medical drama series Diagnosis: Murder (1993-2001). In the series, Barry Van Dyke played the role of detective Steve Sloan, son of Dr. Mark Sloan (played by his real-life father Dick Van Dyke).
Besides his leading role, the multi-talented actor also took on some behind-the-scenes roles for some episodes of Diagnosis: Murder. When the series ended in 2001, the actor continued working on the film series Murder 101 (2006-2008), which was produced for television.
Barry Van Dyke Biography
The multi-talented actor was born on July 31, 1951, as Barry Wayne Van Dyke in Atlanta, Georgia. He is the second son of legendary Hollywood entertainer Dick Van Dyke and his first wife, Margie Willett. His parents already divorced in the 1980s. His mother Margie Willett died in 2008.
The actor has 3 siblings, an older brother, and 2 younger sisters. His brother Christian Van Dyke as well as his sisters Stacy Van Dyke and Carrie Beth Van Dyke also had some acting successes. In fact, all his siblings gave acting a chance, but Barry was the only one who made the whole nine yards.
Barry Van Dyke was born as the son of a man who is counted to the Hollywood royalty. He made his television debut in 1962 in an episode of the Dick Van Dyke Show, a sitcom that was overwritten by his father. He then took a long break from television until he finished his high school education. After graduating from high school, Barry returned to the acclaimed sitcom The New Dick Van Dyke Show (1971-1974) as an extra. He received his college education at Pierce Junior College in Los Angeles, where he majored in theatre arts.
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As a young aspiring actor, he appeared on several television shows, including Gemini Man (1976), Wonder Woman (1977), and The MacKenzies of Paradise Cove (1979). In 1980, the actor joined the main cast of the short-lived sci-fi series Galactica 1980. He also appeared in the main cast of Gun Shy (1983) and Airwolf (1987). He starred in popular television series of the 1980s, such as Magnum P. I. (1983), The Dukes of Hazzard (1983), and The Redd Foxx Show (1986).
Barry Van Dyke got his first leading role in the short-lived sitcom The Van Dyke Show (1988), in which he worked alongside his father. His big breakthrough finally came when he got the leading role of Detective Steve Sloan in the series “Diagnosis”: Murder (1993-2001), one of his most remarkable roles to date. The actor starred alongside his world-famous father in all 8 seasons of the long-running series.
Barry Van Dyke starred alongside his father in the Hallmark telefilm series Murder 101 (2006-2008).
Barry Van Dyke’s Wife
Barry Van Dyke is currently married to Marey Van Dyke (née Carey). The duo met when Barry was still a teenager working in a cinema. They got married 7 years later, in 1974.
Barry and his wife Mary have 4 children together: 3 sons Carey, Shane, and Wes, and a daughter named Taryn. The Van Dykes really are a dynasty of actors and entertainers, because these Van Dykes also ventured into show business.
Children, Family
The first son of the actor Carey Wayne Van Dyke was born on February 25, 1976, in Los Angeles, California. He is an actor and writer. As an actor, he appeared in several characters in Diagnosis: Murder at the side of his father and his grandfather. Among other things, he wrote the horror film Chernobyl Diaries, which was shot in 2012.
Shane Van Dyke is the second son of Barry Van Dyke. He was born on August 28, 1979. He is also an actor, author, and film director. He is the screenwriter and director of the adventure movie Titanic II from 2010, in which he also played the leading role. Together with his brother Carey Wayne, Shane Van Dyke also writes the Chernobyl diaries (2012).
Wesley “Wes” Van Dyke was born on 22 October 1984. He is a successful artist and also an actor. His acting successes include Diagnosis Murder (1993), Murder 101 (2006), and a small role in Titanic II (2010).
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His only daughter Taryn Elizabeth Van Dyke was born on June 1, 1986. She is a kindergarten teacher. She has, however, had several acting successes, including Diagnosis Murder (1993) and Murder 101: College Can Be Murder (2007).
Is He Dead?
The answer to the above question is a resounding no. Barry Van Dyke is very much alive and well. However, the Van Dyke dynasty lost one of its own in January 2018. Barry’s uncle Jerry Van Dyke died on January 5, 2018. He was best known for his role as Luther Van Dam in the long-time ABC sitcom coach (1989-1997). With the exception of the loss of his uncle, all other death rumors about Barry Van Dyke are mere hoaxes.
Net Worth
Barry Van Dyke has an estimated net worth of $3 million. That’s a pretty fair sum for a man who’s put decades of hard work into his profession. Much of this sum was earned, as expected, through his acting career and his occasional roles behind the scenes.
Height
Height: 6′ 1″ (1.85 m)