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Eric Braeden, a German actor, is best known for his charismatic performance as Victor Newman in the American serial opera “The Young and the Restless,” which airs on CBS. The television program has aired from 1973 up to the current day, racking up an incredible total of over 12,500 episodes, and there is no indication that it will be cancelled any time in the near future. Before joining the cast of this massively successful program, Braeden appeared in a number of films and television episodes, some of which include “Colossus: the Forbidden Planet,” “Titanic,” and “Escape from the Planet of the Apes.”
Braeden’s depiction of the self-made business magnet Newman on “The Young and the Restless” in 1980, for which he won honors, was one among the reasons he received recognition for his acting. He turned a character that was only supposed to appear for a run of 26 weeks into a recurring one during the course of his time in the position. After Doug Davidson, who started with the show in 1978, and Melody Thomas Scott, who portrays Newman’s wife and started with the program in February 1979, he is now the cast member who has been with the show for the third longest amount of time.
At first, Braeden had been apprehensive. When asked about his choice to portray the part, he recalled his decision by saying, “Initially, I did not want to perform this job.” There is a possibility that Newman did not seem to be difficult enough for the young actor, and television did not appear to be a dazzling enough draw at the moment. “I had the thinking, ‘I don’t want to work throughout the day.’” “I felt like I was being hemmed in,” he recalled thinking at the time. To our good fortune, Braeden accepted the role, and the rest, as they say, is history.
Braeden marked his 40th year working on “The Young and the Restless” in 2020. Throughout the years, Newman has been an essential component of the program “The Young and the Restless.” Even further, he had a role on the crossover series “The Bold and the Beautiful,” which debuted in 1987 and included a number of Young and the Restless actors and actresses.
In addition to his illustrious profession, Braeden considers the success of his family to be one of his proudest achievements. The endearing postings about his family that he shares on social media make it quite evident that he is very pleased with the accomplishments of the people in his life.
Both on the show and in real life, Braeden is unwavering in his defense of his family as the most important thing in his life. Braeden has matured into an exceptional parent and family man thanks in large part to the lessons he learned while working for Newman as well as those he gained throughout his upbringing in Germany.
Braeden seems to be quite the opposite of his persona and much more grounded in reality. He is a devoted grandpa and spouse. When looking at images of Braeden with his grandchildren, it seems that the actor is just as overjoyed as any other senior citizen to be able to spend time with the younger generation. According to Braeden’s Twitter, he leads a life that is pretty normal for someone who is 81 years old. He expresses his love for his family by posting a lot of candid images, as well as utilizing exclamation marks and capital letters.
The playwright and actor Christian Gudegast is Braeden’s son, and the two of them have blessed him with three granddaughters. The only child of Braeden and Dale Russell Gudegast, he is the only child of their marriage. Several decades ago, Gudegast and Braeden first crossed paths at Santa Monica College, when Gudegast was pursuing a degree in painting and Braeden was studying economics and philosophy, respectively. Over the course of their now more than half a century long marriage, Dale has referred to her husband as “endearing like no one else can be” in an interview with People magazine from 1997. The narrative also portrayed Braeden, a physically active young man, as voluntarily collecting a “wildflower bouquet” for Dale after going for a jog in West Los Angeles and then coming home to be with her.
Braeden published a heartfelt tribute to his girlfriend in an article that was included in the 2019 anniversary post. He added that “despite difficulties and tribulations our love has persevered, and our connections have gotten stronger than they have ever been!!!” It is heartwarming to witness the guy who portrays a villainous character on film devote so much attention and affection to his real-life family. This kindhearted compassion is also directed toward his son as well as his three grandkids.
Christian, son of Braeden, is the father of three girls and worked as a screenwriter on the films “London Has Fallen” and “Den of Thieves,” both of which were directed by Gerard Butler. In the warmest and most endearing snapshot ever posted on Twitter, Braeden beamed with pride as he introduced the world to his grandkids by simply captioning the image “My darling granddaughters!”
He also shared a photograph from the past in which he was seen beside his oldest granddaughter, who seems to be quite the accomplished junior equestrian based on the shot. In the post, he stated the following: “4 years ago with one of my darling grandkids!! How quickly everything passes by! Too quickly!!” It is evident how much affection the grandpa has for her since he constantly publishes images of her and her achievements, such as when she was inducted into the Honor Society or as a tribute on Women’s Day, which he captioned: “I’m very proud of you!”
Happy International Women’s Day to my lovely and intelligent granddaughter! I hope you have a wonderful day! You have the key to the future! And we owe a debt of gratitude to all the women who, throughout the years, campaigned for equal rights. I am really happy for you!!”
In January 2022, Braeden posted a picture of himself with his son, whom he once called “the pride of my life” in his memoir “I’ll Be Damned,” and one of his younger granddaughters, along with the caption, “Three generations,” which caused fans to delight at the beautiful family that Braeden had created.
In addition to his career and his friendships, the actor prioritizes spending time with his family above all else. He told People in 2021, “I adore my life,” before going on to say:
“I adore my fellow employees. I have so much affection for my friends and family. Do I foresee myself hanging up my boots anytime soon? Hell no! My life has been improved by the fact that I have been exposed to such a wide variety of things.
There is no doubt that his grandchildren are among those things. In an interview with Grand Magazine, he said that his grandchildren provide him the things that money can’t buy:
“Being a grandpa simply fills me with an unbounded and boundless sense of love,” the grandfather said. Pure and unadulterated happiness”
