Dick Van Dyke revealed that he and longtime friend Ed Asner were set to star in a remake of The Odd Couple, a classic comedy about two friends who live together despite their vastly different personalities. The project was lost after Asner’s death in 2021 at the age of 91.
The Odd Couple has had several iterations over the years, including a Broadway play, movie, and TV sitcom. In the original play, Felix and Oscar, played by Jack Klugman and Tony Randall respectively, shared a New York City apartment and their differing household standards led to comedic clashes.
Van Dyke, who turned 99 in December, spoke about his love for performing and why he continues to go out onstage despite being close to retirement. He attributed it to his passion for entertaining the audience. The actor also reminisced about his iconic roles in Bye Bye Birdie and Mary Poppins, where he played Albert Peterson and Bert respectively.
The remake of The Odd Couple would have brought back the classic comedic duo of Felix and Oscar, with Van Dyke and Asner set to reprise their roles. However, after Asner’s passing, the project was put on hold. Fans were excited about the possibility of seeing the two actors reunite as they had done in various other projects over the years.
Van Dyke also opened up about the secret to his positive attitude despite having lost many friends and former costars. He attributed it to being grateful for life’s good fortune and not complaining.
Source: https://people.com/dick-van-dyke-ed-asner-planned-remake-of-the-odd-couple-before-his-death-11741108