Dick Van Dyke, 93, Jokes at the 2019 Golden Globes: 'I Get a Really Good Job Every 50 Years'

Dick Van Dyke took the stage to introduce Mary Poppins Returns with his costar Emily Blunt

Dick Van Dyke just starred in his first role of 2019: Golden Globes presenter!

The actor, 93, took the stage with his Mary Poppins Returns costar Emily Blunt to present an intro about the movie, which was nominated for best motion picture, comedy or musical.

The audience at the Beverly Hills Hilton in Beverly Hills, California, gave Van Dyke a standing ovation as he made his way up. Blunt’s husband John Krasinski cheered on the actress and Van Dyke.

“I spotted Carol Burnett out there and I said, ‘My God, I know her!'” Van Dyke said when he got to the mic, receiving a chuckle from Burnett.

Blunt complimented Van Dyke’s “superhuman” vision as he read from the teleprompter and she had to put on glasses.

76th Annual Golden Globe Awards - Show
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Van Dyke, who starred in the 1964 musical Mary Poppins, returned in the 2018 sequel in a poignant cameo in which he reminds the audience all about the magic of the first film.

“The minute I heard I was going to do a little number, that sold me,” Van Dyke told PEOPLE. “And I thought I could contribute by just being a little bit of a reminder of the original. And I think it turned out well. I got to jump up on a desk and do a dance number. It surprised everybody, but nobody was as surprised as I was. We did several takes of it, and I was just amazed. And I enjoyed it, of course.”

He talked about the brief appearance on the red carpet ahead of the 2019 Golden Globes.

“I get a really good job every 50 years or so,” Van Dyke said. “I didn’t get to come down a chimney, but the new movie is very, very good. Very different from the original Mary Poppins but times change in 50 years and so do I.”

RELATED VIDEO: Emily Blunt Talks About Her Role As Mary Poppins And Working With Lin-Manuel Miranda

While Van Dyke is now happy about his small cameo, the two-time Golden Globe nominee admitted that he originally wasn’t convinced by the idea of a sequel 54 years after Julie Andrews first floated down onto Cherry Tree Lane. But he quickly changed his mind.

“I had some misgivings because almost traditionally sequels don’t work. They’re never quite as good as the original,” he continued to PEOPLE. “[But] This is an homage to Walt and the original movie. I was so impressed that their heart was in the right place. They wanted to pay respect to the original. And I was so tickled when they asked me because it was kind of like bookends for me.”

In the end, the longtime actor knows that Mary Poppins will play as special of a part in his legacy as it has played in his life.

“I would imagine it would be the thing I would be remembered for,” Van Dyke says of Poppins. “I get a lot of mail today from kids who have just discovered Mary Poppins. So it’s on its third generation and holding up very well. I’m sure that if I’m remembered for anything it’ll be Mary Poppins.”

The 76th annual Golden Globe Awards air Jan. 6 at 8 p.m. ET on NBC. Mary Poppins Returns is in theaters now.

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