“I think some people thought I was dead,” the beloved star jokes.
Warning: This article contains spoilers fromThe Masked Singerseason 9 premiere.
After performing Billie Holiday’s “When You’re Smiling,” Gnome was the first to get axed.
Dick Van Dyke as Gnome on ‘The Masked Singer’.Michael Becker / FOX
Scherzinger in particular started to audibly sob in the presence of the belovedMary PoppinsandDick Van Dyke Showstar.
ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: What was your reaction to getting asked to doThe Masked Singer?
DICK VAN DYKE:Well, when they asked me to do it, I had never seen it.
Dick Van Dyke.Christopher Polk/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images
So I looked at it on the air and it looked like fun.
And the experience was weird, because they have to keep it a secret from the crew.
So I walked around with my head covered with people leading me.
They’ve got a nice crew, but I never got to meet any of them!
Would you say it’s the weirdest thing you’ve ever done?
VAN DYKE:I would say it’s the weirdest thing I’ve ever done.
But they didn’t put a mask on me.
They made a great big like Pumpkinhead thing that I had to do.
It was a weird experience.
I had two little peepholes I can see the audience with.
It’s a good thing I’m not claustrophobic.
You sang Billie Holiday’s “When You’re Smiling.”
Why that song were there others you really wanted to do?
VAN DYKE:Well, they wanted me to do more current songs, about which I know nothing.
So I said I’d like to sing an old familiar song.
And they liked that one.
And I did too.
I didn’t realize thatFrank Sinatrahad even done it.
We did more of a kind of a Dixieland arrangement of it.
And I was happy to say that some people thought it wasTony Bennett.
But then other people thought it wasDustin Hoffman.
Yes, andRobert De Niro.
VAN DYKE:Well, I felt pretty good about Tony Bennett.
I wasn’t crazy about any of the other ones.
But I knew that they couldn’t guess who I was.
I don’t think they expected anybody from my generation to be on that show.
So I knew I was gonna fool them.
They were so surprised.
I stepped out and everybody’s mouths dropped open.
I think some people thought I was dead.
There was a strong reaction to your unmasking, with panelist Nicole Scherzinger literally sobbing.
Do you get that reaction a lot?
VAN DYKE:I have had that happen, yes.
You know what is fun now?
And I love that, that kids are just discovering those movies now.
And it’s great to be on a third generation.
Speaking of, you got to sing fan-favoriteMary Poppinssong “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious” at the end there.
What was that like for you, to bring that back?
And we thought “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious” was a little more peppy and more fun to sing.
And a lot of the audience started to sing with us, too.
It was great, great fun to bring back those memories for people.
It must be really special after all this time to see the love for your work.
We put them together so carefully, and now they just don’t work too well.
That makes me mad.
Other than it being weird, what didThe Masked Singerexperience mean to you?
SILVER:The whole crew was so awesome.
And they all seem like they love their job.
And it was just a great environment.
I wouldn’t recognize them.
So you’d be open to going back, then?
Maybe as a guest panelist?
VAN DYKE:Yeah.
Nobody would expect it.
As pointed out on the show, you are a Grammy, Tony, and Emmy winner.
That’s one shy of EGOT status.
How are we going to get you that Oscar?
VAN DYKE:Oh, I don’t know.
This interview has been edited and condensed for length and clarity.
