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Dick Van Dyke reacted emotionally when he heard the music Mary Poppins for the first time.

The now 98-year-old actor was interviewed as part of the ABC News Studios special The Untold Story of Mary Poppins: A Special Edition of 20/20suitable for the 60th anniversary of the legendary Disney film.

In a clip shared exclusively with PEOPLE, Van Dyke remembers crying when the Sherman Brothers played him the now-iconic songs for the first time.

“I couldn’t believe it, one song at a time,” he says. “I cried. It was simply the most beautiful thing I’ve ever heard.”

Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dyke in Mary Poppins (1964).

Moviestore/Shutterstock


Van Dyke famously played the role of a chimney sweep named Bert in the 1964 film, alongside Julie Andrews as the titular magical nanny. Mary Poppins won five Oscars, including best actress for the now 89-year-old Andrews and best original score and best original song (“Chim Chim Cher-ee”) for the Sherman Brothers, Richard and Robert.

Memorable songs from the movie musical include “A Spoonful of Sugar,” “Jolly Holiday,” “Step in Time” and “Let’s Go Fly a Kite.”

Dick Van Dyke and Julie Andrews in Mary Poppins (1964).

Donaldson/Getty Collection


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During the interview, Van Dyke recalled working with Walt Disney, who died in 1966. “When I met Walt, we hit it off immediately. We both admitted that we were just pretending to be adults and that we were still kids,” he said.

“I went into his office and he had watercolor paintings of every scene in the film. When we finished it, I was just so excited.”

Julie Andrews, Dick Van Dyke and Walt Disney in 1965.

AP photo


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The two hour one Untold Story of Mary Poppins The feature includes rare footage, photos and stories of the living legends and is part of a two-day event.

The Untold Story of Mary Poppins: A Special Edition of 20/20 airs on Wednesday, November 27th at 9pm ET and streams the next day on Hulu and Disney+. Then on Thursday, November 28th, The Wonderful World of Disney presents a broadcast of Mary Poppins.

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