BREAKING NEWS: Victor Is Back!

Unless you've been under a rock, you know that Eric Braeden, aka Victor Newman of The Young and the Restless, was as good as gone from his 30-year tenure on the No. 1 rated soap. (In case you were indeed under said rock, check out my previous interview with Eric to get the scoop.)

Well, the news broke just before the weekend that both sides had hammered out a deal and Eric has inked a new three-year deal with the soap — and a collective PHEW! could be heard throughout the industry. I spoke with Eric about this wonderful news last night, and he was definitely back to his happy self, with a lift in his voice that I was very glad to hear.

Daytime Dial: So tell me, last I heard, you were as good as gone. How did it come about that you were able to come to an agreement?

Eric Braeden: I can only talk about my experiences in the world of sports, where you fight tooth and nail, and afterward you have a beer. This was a hard fight, no question about that. It hung by a thread, to be honest with you. We came to a mutually beneficial arrangement. But it was a tough fight. And there’s give and take, as there is in sports.

DD: How did the tide turn?

EB: Both sides made certain gestures to continue negotiating.

DD: How are you feeling now that this is all settled?

EB: To be frank, what really deeply moved me was the reaction of the fans. I did not expect that and it has touched me greatly.

DD: I know a lot of fans will be happy to have you back — if you've kept up with any of the message-board chatter, then you know public opinion was definitely leaning toward you.

EB: I was made aware of it and I read a lot of it, and it really affected me in a very emotional way. I did not expect that kind of reaction, and I am deeply grateful for it, and I am deeply humbled by it.

DD: You must have been going through a lot internally, because you were off the show for a few weeks and you had probably gotten into the mind set of "I'm not Victor Newman anymore."

EB: When you go through something like this, it is sort of like a divorce, in a sense, because 30 years is a long time. Thirty years of having given whatever you can as an actor, emotionally, it is very difficult. You go through some of the early withdrawal — whether it’s denial, whether it’s anger, whether it’s all kinds of things. I hadn’t reached the point yet where I had really stepped back and looked at the whole thing. It was still very emotional. As in everything in life, when you have a separation or a kind of loss, it affects you differently at different times. It takes a while to gain an objective perspective. I am glad that we resolved it. That’s all I can tell you. But I am mostly deeply impressed by the fans’ reactions. That’s really important.

DD: Have you had any reactions from the cast about your reinstatement?

EB: Melody (Thomas Scott) has been very supportive throughout all of this. And so has Sharon Case. So I’m grateful to expressions of support, you bet.

DD: Do you know yet how Victor will be written back in?

EB: I honestly don’t know that yet, but I trust Maria Bell. I always have. I think she is very good. She’ll find a very good way to reintroduce him.

DD: So we should all just keep watching, because Victor WILL be back.

EB: With a bang. He’s gonna come back and wreak some havoc.

DD: We hope so!

DEVLOPING NEWS! Eric Braeden and Y&R Producers Come to Agreement

DEVELOPING NEWS: It seems that Eric Braeden and the producers at The Young and the Restless have come to an agreement, and Eric has inked a new three-year deal. I'm going to be speaking with him later today and will give you the full scoop as soon as I get it.

UPDATE: It's official!! According to Entertainment Weekly, talks have dissolved and Eric Braeden is officially OUT as Victor Newman. What are your thoughts? What will this mean for the future of The Young and the Restless?

The news hit the fan late last week. The headlines were blaring: ERIC BRAEDEN TO LEAVE THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS (mostly true); ERIC BRAEDEN STORMS OFF THE Y&R SET (not true).

I spoke with Eric yesterday to clear up rumors from truth, and to get the word straight from the horse's mouth. I asked him to tell me, step-by-step, what happened, so there would be no confusion or cause for speculation. The following is what Eric had to tell me:

On what actually happened: To put it succinctly, I signed a contract two years ago in which I volunteered a reduction in pay, in order to lead by example. That contract was supposed to be for three years — it would be up in November 2010. They suddenly invoked a clause that most of us don’t even read in the contract — the 26-week clause — which allows the producers to revisit the contact every half-year within that three-year period. That had never been invoked before, in my case. I was not really aware of it — obviously, I should have been.

On how he was approached regarding the pay cut: We are all aware of economic times being tougher, but the way it was done: The Internet was used in order to threaten me with the possibility of casting someone who would be equally as powerful, and the story line dovetailed with the end of this contract cycle that I had never thought of. In other words, one was blindsided in a way I do not appreciate at all, especially after having loyally publicized this show and pushed this show for 30 years, being proud of it and proud of the character. To be dealt with in this kind of manner does not sit well.

It is the worst of corporate America, to be honest with you. Corporate America and all those Harvard Business School graduates who sit in the upper levels, they have to know how to deal with human beings. You do not simply, in a wholesale manner, destroy something that obviously has been No. 1, in this case, for 27 years. That is extraordinary. That is singular in Hollywood’s history. You handle that kind of thing very carefully.

There are certain actors you approach on a certain level, as far as I’m concerned. You don’t approach them in a standard, procedural way. There are certain actors who have contributed more to a show that other people have, simple as it is. To claim otherwise is hypocrisy. What corporate America needs to learn is when they simply apply the paradigms learned by Harvard Business School graduates and Wharton School of Economic graduates and Stanford Business School graduates, you need to learn how to deal with human beings.

The personal touch is always more important than anything. Obviously they are endangering the goose that lays the golden egg. I am not talking only about myself; I am talking about others on the show as well.

To be quite frank with you, this notion of signing the three-year deal, and then suddenly have the producing side be able to revisit that after three months but I don’t, there seems to be something grossly unfair about that. But that is a problem our union should not have allowed to exist.

It certainly should not apply to someone who has been on the show for more than 10 years. If you don’t know by now if someone is contributing to the show or not, then you don’t deserve to be in the business.

The 26-week clause was initially thought of because say you hired an actor and you find out well, it hasn’t really worked out, you can terminate him quickly. But, I beg your pardon, after 29 or 30 years on the show, you don’t know who’s who? Give me a break!

On rumors that he stormed off the set: I had 62 pages myself that last day, and only as an actor do you know what that means. Sixty-two pages of the script I did that last day — emotionally exhausting with flashbacks and everything else, and Victor’s life sort of rolls by him. It just suddenly hit me: This has been a part of my life for 30 years.

At the end of [filming], I sat there quietly. The booms were still rolling and the cameras were still rolling, and I said: “I want to thank all of you, crew and cast, for a wonderful time on the show. You have all worked extremely hard; I have nothing but respect for all of you. I may not see you for a long time, or perhaps never again.”

It was a very emotional, very quiet moment, there was not much said, except the crew and cast, with tears in their eyes, we all hugged each other and nothing else was said. So, the storming off is simply not true. I did not storm off that set; it was not that emotion. It was a very quiet, very sad moment.

On the possibility of working something out: It is not entirely fait accompli yet, but it is hanging by a thread. There is a minimal chance [of working this out]. It entirely depends on how one is being approached. The world I come from, a handshake is a handshake and a contract is a contract. Period.

On his counteroffer: They had approached me the year before about a slash-and-burn reduction, which I took. [This time] I came back with a counteroffer, offered a fairer reduction, and that was dismissed.

It is not that one is asking for special favors; it is not that. After that many years of helping take that show to where it is — and I say “helping” because it is about our wonderful actors, everyone has helped. But to be dealt with in such a cold manner is something that just doesn’t sit well with me. I like to shake your hand, look you in the eye and deal with you. I don’t like to be dealt with by e-mail. I want to be dealt with in an honorable way, between men. Look oneself in the eye and say, “OK, let’s talk about this.” Not through some corporate bullsh*t.

After 30 years, you need to be taken to a restaurant, together with the people involved, and you all sit down and say, “OK, how can we work this out?” That’s what needs to happen. You don’t want to be treated like a number.

On the support of his fans: I am very touched by the reaction of the public. The fans have been very supportive and I’ve been very blessed by it.

Hollywood is a tough business. But what business right now isn’t tough?

On his feelings for Y&R, in general: I am enormously proud of the show and of the character I play, and have been enormously supportive all those years. I am very proud of the actors I work with and the kind of work we do given those very limiting circumstances. Many of the actors on the show are wonderful, and many of the story lines are wonderful — I’ve loved Maria Bell’s story lines, by and large, a lot.

But the days of Bill Bell, when he ran that show all by himself, those are over. Now you don’t even know who you are dealing with.

Eric Braeden Says Goodbye to Genoa City

It has been whispered about for weeks, and now it is official: Eric Braeden who has starred as Victor Newman on the #1 rated soap The Young and the Restless, a role he originated in February 1980, has departed the soap after being asked to take a huge salary cut in the middle of his contract.

While it is not unusual in these economic times to ask to take a salary cut when renegotiating one's contract (see Jess Walton and Melody Thomas Scott), it's quite unheard of to be asked to take a pay cut on an already determined salary, and in the middle of one's contract.

I'll be talking with Eric later this week about it, and will bring you the full story ASAP!

Interview Y&R: Eric Braeden Is Righting Wrongs

Eric Braeden has played the debonair billionaire Victor Newman on The Young and the Restless for nearly three decades. Now he also has taken on the role of executive producer and star of the feature film The Man Who Came Back, which was released on DVD this past Tuesday.

In the movie, Eric plays Reese Paxton, a Civil War hero who returns to the South after the war, only to discover that grave injustices are still happening toward the recently released slaves. His compassion for the ex-slaves leads to devastation in his family life.

Eric tells me: “When I first read the story, I liked it. What I liked was the revenge part of it. That is what attracted me to the story in the first place, but I wanted to give it some historical context. I wanted to deal with the race relations of that period and the relationship between plantation owners and those who worked for them. Then we found out about a labor strike in the South in 1887, and we went from there.”

Eric can personally relate to Reese on many levels. He confesses: “Personally, I have a deep-seated anger for someone who uses his power arbitrarily. When I see injustices committed, I just get angry. I have an innate feeling against bullies. I’ll fight them. I want to right those wrongs. And that stems from my childhood: I got into a lot of fights as a kid. My father died early on, so my upbringing was rough in that way. And we had teachers who came back from the Second World War, and they had dark eyes.

“So, you know, Reese was wizened by his experiences in the war. He had seen too much killing. He worked behind the scenes as an assassin, and he had seen too much of it. There are two ways to come out of an experience like that: You become worse, or you become better.”

Working on such a powerful story was bound to grab the attention of first-rate actors, and Eric considers himself lucky for the company he got to keep on this film. “It attracted a lot of good actors who were wonderful. They did me an enormous favor by working with me, from George Kennedy to Billy Zane, Armand Assante, Sean Young, Carol Alt and James Patrick Stuart. I’ve never enjoyed anything as much as I enjoyed doing this film.”

As executive producer, Eric had the final say in casting, music, editing — everything. “And I would do this again only under those circumstances,” Eric explains. “I’ve been in the business too long, and one knows too much about it. And I don’t want to be told by the people anymore, you know?

“But I love the whole process, and the people were so kind and so generous, the people I worked with down in Texas. I was impressed by the hospitality there. It was a labor of love, really. The director worked his ass off. A lot of passion went into this film. I’ve enormous respect for filmmakers. The whole post-production part was just as tough, from editing to sound design, music — just everything.”

So, when you rent or buy this movie, Eric has only one request: “I just want you to be entertained. Be entertained and maybe have some thoughts afterward. I want whoever sees this to be emotionally involved and moved. If they learn something, fine, but I want them to be moved.”

Interview: (Y&R) Victor Newman Finds Love Again

When Victor left Genoa City earlier this year, his young wife, Sabrina, was dead, his family had betrayed him and he was suspected of murder. Now that he is back in town, it’s business as usual. His nemesis, Jack Abbott, is trying to bring him down yet again; this time with the help of Victor’s son, Adam, and a certain forged diary. Victor has also found love once again; this time with an old flame.

Eric Braeden, who plays ruthless billionaire Victor Newman on The Young and the Restless, is excited about his new story line and anxious to see how Victor is going to handle it all. Regarding Jack’s duplicity, Eric is certain of one thing: “Oh, he’s gonna get it. You know Victor doesn’t leave any stone unturned. Jack is definitely gonna get it.”

When it comes to Adam’s part in the betrayal, according to Eric: “Victor feels an enormous betrayal. But that’s not really his son, not really. Victor was never really a father to him.”

But Victor’s return isn’t without his fair share of baggage. Eric explains: “He is in an emotional hell because of an accumulation of things. The whole thing with Nikki and her getting involved with a guy (David Chow) who Victor suspected from the beginning (as being bad news), and his estrangement from his children — that all started before Sabrina’s death. It was exacerbated by her death. It was one of those critical moments in life, where he essentially wanted to be left alone.

“With Sabrina, there was an enormous, sudden surge of love that he felt with a much younger woman, and it sort of rejuvenated him for a while. She gave him unrestricted love. I think it mesmerized him. The reality of her death had not sunk in yet. He was still very much in love.”

Now, with the help of his rediscovered love for Ashley Abbott, Victor is back, he’s strong and he’s ready to stand up to his accusers. Eric says he is “excited to explore that relationship again. And also for the audience who was used to it. A lot of the audience sort of felt there was unrequited love — it was always sort of there and alluded to, but never really realized. So now, it finally is, hopefully.

“Frankly, I think they missed a chance a few years ago to pick up on that relationship, when she came to him finally and told him how much she loved him and he turned her down, which I think was a mistake at the time, but those were different writers. I think it’s natural for them to find one another again — and at the same time it’s tragic for Nikki. It’s complicated, isn’t it?”

While life has never been without complication for Victor and Nikki, he doubts this antagonism between them will last. “It never has been peaceful between the two of them. But, I don’t think this is a permanent parting of the ways. I certainly hope it isn't. I love working with Mel. But, well, it’s drama.”

During one of Eric’s breaks from the drama of Y&R, he executive produced and starred in the Western drama The Man Who Came Back, which will be released on DVD Tuesday, Dec. 9. In the movie, Eric plays Reese Paxton, a man who stands up against injustice and seeks revenge against those who have wronged him. Catch Part 2 of this interview next week when Eric talks about the movie, the star-studded cast and his chance to get physical and kick some bad-guy butts.

Eric Braeden Honored With Lifetime Achievement Award

Earlier this year, Eric Braeden (Victor Newman, "The Young and the Restless") was honored with the 2007 Pacific Pioneer Broadcast Association's Lifetime Achievement Award. And what better way to celebrate than to have your friends and colleagues roast you?

As Eric told me last week: "There were 10 people roasting me. Dabney Coleman -- my crotchety old friend -- did a very good roast."

Also on hand to tease the King of Daytime was on-screen son, Josh Morrow (Nicholas Newman) and on-screen rival, Peter Bergman (Jack Abbott), along with "a lot of old friends."

While Eric had a wonderful time, and things got a little R-rated, as roasts tend to do. Unluckily for us fans, this was a private affair -- no cameras captured the high jinks. That's too bad, too -- I'd pay good money to see Victor Newman being roasted by Jack Abbott.

Congrats to Eric, and my hat's off to you for being such a good sport!

Submit Your Questions for Eric Braeden

I will be interviewing Eric Braeden (Victor Newman, "Y&R") next week for publication in early March. In the comments section of this post, please submit your questions that you would like for me to ask Eric. Now's your chance to get to the nittygritty and really see what makes Victor, and his portrayer, tick.

Also, the contributor of the best question will receive a prize. Not sure what yet, but it'll be groovy -- I promise!