Van Dyke told HuffPost that he spotted Silver at the SAG Awards, where she "stopped [him] dead" in the green room.
He told The Washington Post that he had been speaking to Cate Blanchett when he saw Silver walk by, compelling him to introduce himself.
Silver later told HuffPost that she had seen Van Dyke's star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame the Thursday before the awards, as well as "Mary Poppins," which Van Dyke famously stars in.
"I remember seeing Dick at the catering table with his bow tie and his big smile. Right when I sat down, he was sitting next to me. He said, 'Hi, I'm Dic,'" Silver told the publication. "The first thing I asked him was, 'Weren't you in 'Mary Poppins'?' I wasn't sure."
Van Dyke went on to hire Silver for some of his Hallmark movies, she told HuffPost.
At the time of their meeting at the SAG Awards, Van Dyke was still with his partner of 30 years, Michelle Triola.