Eric Braeden on Y&R's "Dumbest Decisions", Burning Newman Ranch, Retirement and More

Y&R's Eric Braeden discusses retirement, Newman Ranch burning down and more.

Author:
Jillian Bowe
Publish date:
Nov 12, 2024

Eric Braeden, The Young and the Restless — Sonja Flemming/CBS

Leave it to Eric Braeden (Victor Newman) to keep it real and never hold anything back. Leading up to The Young and the Restless’ 13,000th episode on Nov. 13, the number one daytime drama started to bring back fan favorites including longtime show vets and a rebuilt verson of the original Newman Ranch. Braeden and viewers weren’t thrilled when the powers that be decided to gut the set with a brand new one in 2012 via a storyline of it being burned down, something Braeden still isn’t amused about. Braeden told TV Insider:

See what I mean? Braeden looked back at his 44 years and revealed that if it weren’t for the show’s legendary creator, the late William J. Bell, he would’ve only stuck around for a few months. Braeden stated:

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I was asked if I would extend. And I thought about that for a while and said, ‘OK, make it a year.’ After about a year, I really didn’t want to continue and I went to Bill and I said, ‘Bill, unless you ascribe a background to this character that justifies who he is or explains who he is, I don’t want to play bad guys anymore. I’ve done it for too many years on nighttime and I’m burned out. It’s dehumanizing. I can’t do it anymore.’ And two months later, he came up with the brilliant storyline. Once I had done that, where Victor explained to Nikki [Melody Thomas Scott] that he had grown up in an orphanage, I went to my dressing room, called home, and said, ‘I’m staying.’ Because I realized that from then on, the character would assume enormous complexity and that’s what attracted me to it. And that’s why I’m still here because you don’t get that kind of character, certainly not on nighttime. It was a brilliant stroke and that’s really the only reason that I’m here. I would have left, period.

Braeden also discussed whether he'll be retiring from the iconic role anytime soon, stating:

You got that? See what Braeden has to say about his longtime leading lady, Melody Thomas Scott and onscreen rival Peter Bergman (Jack Abbott) here.

Eric Braeden on Y&R's "Dumbest Decisions", Burning Newman Ranch, Retirement and More

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