 erry Van Dyke was born and raised in Danville, Illinois, and began his career in high school, performing anywhere he could. He joined the Air Force in 1952, and performed throughout the world in Special Services, won the "All Air Force Talent Show" two years in a row, and appeared twice on "The Ed Sullivan Show." This gave him the encouragement he needed and kindled his desire to make show business a lifetime career. After several years of struggling as a nightclub comedian, Jerry gained some recognition and was entertaining in Las Vegas showrooms. In 1962, he was offered his very first acting role, on his brother's show, "The Dick Van Dyke Show." He received overnight acclaim for his portrayal of a dual personality and was signed to a contract by CBS. Now in demand, his first outing was as the comic relief on "The Judy Garland Show." Later, he did a game show called "Picture This." In 1964, Grant Tinker convinced Jerry that "My Mother the Car" was the vehicle for him. It lasted one season, but in the annals of comedy television, it has never been forgotten. Other shows in which Jerry starred include "Accidental Family," "Headmaster," "13 Queens Blvd.," and the miniseries, "Fresno," alongside Carol Burnett and Dabney Coleman. Jerry has received four consecutive Emmy nominations (1990, 1991, 1992 and 1993) in the category of Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series for his portrayal of Luther Van Dam in "Coach." His film credits include "The Courtship of Eddie's Father," "McClintock," "Love " Kisses," "Palm Springs Weekend," "Angel in My Pocket" and "Run If You Can." Currently, Jerry is headlining in major showrooms in Atlantic City, Lake Tahoe, Reno and Las Vegas. Although performing for a live audience is his first love, his acting career has always been important to Jerry. The other aspect of Jerry's life involves his wife, Shirley. They own and operate a 500-acre ranch in Arkansas, they have all kinds of "ranch-type creatures," everything from cattle and horses to llamas. This gives Jerry a place to escape from Los Angeles but still work at something he loves. Jerry Van Dyke has never stopped working in the last 40 years and as he says, "I have no intentions of stopping now." Jerry continues his comedic and acting endeavors and explains what keeps the thrive in his work, "To me, life is like a soap opera. I love tuning in every day to see what's going to happen next."
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