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Eric Braeden. Photo Credit: Sonja Flemming, CBS
“The Young and The Restless” actor Eric Braeden chatted about his latest endeavors, the show, and his health (overcoming bladder cancer).
Braeden has been playing the role of patriarch Victor Newman on the CBS daytime drama “The Young and The Restless” since February 8, 1980.
“I am grateful,” Braeden said about being on the show that long. “I’m grateful to have had this gig all these years. It has been wonderful.”
Key to longevity in the entertainment business
“One of the most difficult things in the business is to become a star on a large scale and have to deal with that,” he said. “That is one of the most difficult things, and usually it flames out. Big success in our business is poisonous because people don’t know how to deal with it.”
“You lose all sense with what you are familiar with, and it is like taking something out from under your feet. That is why, I think, a lot of big stars turn to some substance to deal with it. That goes for sports, music, and film. Big and sudden success is not something I wish on anyone, really,” he explained.
Dialogue-heavy on the show
When asked how he handles being dialogue-heavy, he said, “I love it. It’s still a challenge but I am not tired of it. I love doing reels with whoever I have scenes with. I have scenes coming up with Amelia Heinle, who plays my daughter Victoria, who I adore, and I love to work with, and with Melody Thomas Scott, who I also love. Fortunately, I learn rather quickly.”
Working with Mark Grossman
Braeden also praised Mark Grossman, who plays his son Adam Newman for being a “wonderful actor.”
“Mark is a damn good actor, and he is really wonderful,” he said. “Mark is the nicest guy to work with. Mark is really great to work with and I told him to stick with it because that’s the kind of part that makes an impression on people.”
‘The Young and The Restless’ fan event
He discussed being a part of the Y&R fan event this past August in Burbank, California. “It’s always nice,” he said. “I am very grateful to the fans. I always have and I always will.”
‘I’ll Be Damned’ memoir
Braden is the author of the memoir “I’ll Be Damned: How My Young and Restless Life Led Me to America’s # 1 Daytime Drama,” and he is pleased with the commercial success that it has had.
He noted that the idea to write this book came from “family members and friends.”
Maurice Benard ‘State of Mind’ episode with Eric Braeden
In May of 2022, Braeden appeared in Maurice Benard’s “State of Mind” podcast on mental health, where Braeden was candid about his upbringing.
Born in Germany during WWII, with a life having been shaped by losing his father at age 12, Braeden learned to channel his emotions into sports and later acting.
Having immigrated to the United States as a teenager, after college, he found roles in dozens of movies and television series. They talk about what it was like working with Marlon Brando, his role in the blockbuster “Titanic” and as Victor Newman “The Young and The Restless.”
Braeden also shared few anxious moments before performances and how he was able to overcome it.
Career-defining moments
His career-defining moments include his first plays at the Santa Monica Playhouse, which included a play by Tennessee Williams and a play by Jean-Paul Sartre. “That re-affirmed my desire to become an actor,” he said.
“There were so many moments that could have turned out differently such as interviews that didn’t happen and I almost didn’t do ‘The Young and The Restless,’ because at the time, I wasn’t interested in doing daytime television… yet here I am 43 years later,” he elaborated.
“There have been many many moments that have helped define me,” he admitted. “My wife helped me a great deal. It is such a risky business, it really is… so all I can do is that I have been busy since 1962 without a break. I did a lot of nighttime since 1980.”
His other proud moments included working with such giants in the business as Marlon Brando and Bette Davis.
Advice for hopefuls in acting
For young and aspiring actors, Braeden encouraged them to “do theater first” because it teaches them the basics. “You learn to deal with the fear of opening night, you learn to perform under pressure and that is vital as far as I’m concerned,” he said.
Henry Kissinger
Braeden also spoke about Henry Kissinger, who just passed away at the age of 100.
“The man lived a long life,” Braeden said about Kissinger. “His legacy is not what people posthumously make it out to be. He took credit for things that were not his ideas. He was partly responsible for the bombing of Cambodia, so let’s not sing the praises too much. There wasn’t a camera he didn’t like. He loved to be in the limelight.”
“Remember the only system of government that has lasted is democracy,” he said. “All autocracies and dictatorships have gone by the wayside, and they have ended disastrously.”
“The only thing that has prevailed is democracy, and thank God it has… in America, England, Australia, and Canada. That is really what has saved the world after World War II,” he added.
Eric Braeden: A bladder cancer survivor
Braeden opened up about his health and how he is in good spirits. “I feel damn well,” he said. “I can’t complain. I have it under control, and I have been undergoing a series of treatments. I will go to see them one more time in January where I will undergo a cystoscopy, where they will look inside the bladder to see if there is any more cancer in there or if it is gone.”
“The reason I talk about this is because a lot of guys don’t want to admit something is wrong. If you feel something is wrong, go see a doctor, and insist on being examined. Colonoscopies and cystoscopies are absolutely vital, and you should go get your heart checked out. If you catch things early, then it’s manageable and treatable,” he said.
His son directed ‘Den of Thieves 2’
Braeden revealed that his son, Christian Gudegast, wrote and directed the upcoming movie “Den of Thieves 2: Pantera,” which stars Gerard Butler. “The movie is in post-production,” he said.
“It was quite an adventure, it still is. Let’s see what happens with it. I saw the rough cut of it, and the ending is surprisingly interesting again,” he foreshadowed.
“Gerard Butler gives a great performance in this movie,” Braeden hinted.
Eric Braeden has a love for boxing
He expressed that he has a love for boxing. “I do that a lot,” he admitted. Recently, fans and viewers had the opportunity to see his character, Victor Newman, on the show, thus showcasing his boxing chops on a punching bag.
“I used to box in the ghetto gyms in Los Angeles, and I would do that for years,” he said.
Success
On his definition of success, he said, “Success means everything good, no complaints about that. I love it. It has been very good to me.”
“Obviously, health is No. 1, family is No. 2, and financial and professional success are important. To raise a nice family and be proud of your kids and grandkids is a success. Health is the basis of all that,” he added.
Favorite mottos to live by
Regarding his favorite mottos to live by, he said, “To keep on marching and to keep on going forward.” “Don’t reflect too much upon your life. Move forward and always have goals in mind that you want to achieve.”
“Looking back is nice sometimes, but don’t dwell on it because you can’t change it. Dwell on it if it is good, don’t dwell on it if it is negative. The hell with that… What good does it do really? Just have goals in life. Have goals in mind,” he explained.
“The motto that made the most sense to me is an ancient saying coming from the Greeks, and that’s ‘mens sana in corpore sano,’ which means “a healthy mind lives in a healthy body.” “That is one of the healthiest pieces of advice that I’ve ever learned,” he said.
“If you feel emotionally depressed sometimes, then just go out and work out; it’s as simple as that… Walk, lift weights, box, or whatever you want to do. Just do it because it will make you feel better,” he said.
Superpower of choice
If he were to have any superpower, it would be to help out poor people who are barely surviving. “Then, I would remove certain politicians from their positions,” he said.
Fans
For his loyal fans, he remarked, “I am very grateful to them. I do as much as I can to answer my tweets and my messages personally. I do all of that personally. I don’t let anyone else touch my social media pages.”
“I’ll Be Damned” by Eric Braeden is available on Amazon by clicking here.
To learn more about Eric Braeden, follow him on Twitter and Instagram, and check out his official website.
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