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Young and the Restless icon Eric Braeden just hit a major milestone. Last week, the 83-year-old German-American actor marked his 45th year playing the role of Victor Newman.
Braeden debuted on the hit CBS sudser on February 8, 1980 in what was originally supposed to be a short stint. Four and a half decades later, The Mustache remains a significant character in Genoa City.
To commemorate the big event, Braeden’s Y&R family threw a party on the set. The actor can’t hide his happiness as his co-stars showered him with love and praise.
Young and the Restless Stars Honor Eric Braeden
Melody Thomas Scott, who plays Victor Newman’s wife Nikki Newman, expressed her deep love for him, adding that she’ll “adore [him] forever.”
Braeden’s on-screen son, Joshua Morrow (Nick Newman), reminisced the first time he met him on the show. “They walked me into this dressing room and introduced me. They said, ‘Hey, this is Joshua Morrow. He’s gonna be playing your son now,'” the actor recalled. “And it just aged me from a baby to like me at 20 years old. Then he just looked at me and went, ‘How bizarre.'”
Susan Walters, who portrays Victor’s longtime nemesis Diane Jenkins, shared a memorable moment she experienced with the actor. “I had a very long scene between Diane and Victor, with about two pages of monologue that Diane had to say,” the actress revealed. “And after the first quarter of a page, you went, ‘Diane Jenkins, stop your babbling!'”
Meanwhile, Bryton James (Devon Hamilton) shared what he learned from Braeden. “The first thing I learned from you was to listen,” the actor said. “Because my first day on set was with you, and you changed every single line you said to me, from rehearsal to the take.”
In an interview with Michael Fairman Channel, Braeden said he was “very touched” by everyone’s kind words.
What’s Next for Eric Braeden?
Eric Braeden admitted that being on Young and the Restless for 45 years was something he had never envisioned when he debuted on the show. “If you had told me that then I would have said you’re crazy,” he told TV Insider.
Aside from his love for the show and his iconic character, Braeden revealed what’s kept him in Genoa City all these years. “It’s the realization when I drive to work that I have a job. We entertain millions of people all over the world and that gives you a certain feeling of responsibility to do it as well as you can, and it gives you some joy as well.”
The Victor Newman portrayer also credited his “wonderful” co-stars for making his time on the show worthwhile.
As for his future plans, the Young and the Restless legend confirmed he’s not leaving the sudser anytime soon. Braeden intends to continue playing The Mustache for as long as possible.
“There were moments, obviously, during negotiations and all that where you say, ‘OK, that’s it. Bon voyage,’ and then it always works out,” he explained. “But the actors I used to work with in the ’60s on nighttime television and film are either not working or they’re gone, passed away. I’m a stubborn son of a b*tch. I’m still here.”
