Is Young and Restless’s Eric Braeden Leaving As Victor? Star Responds To Retirement Rumors

Though Eric Braeden has been firmly ensconced on Young and Restless as powerhouse tycoon Victor Newman since 1980, another online rumor is circulating that the 84-year-old Daytime Emmy-winner is planning to hang up his proverbial hat and leave the show he’s called home for 45 years. The actor took to his official Facebook page to respond to the gossip.

Here To Stay

In a message posted on December 7, the actor commented on a story that appears on an unofficial Y&R fan page on Facebook bearing the headline “Eric Braeden Says ‘Goodbye'” on Instagram – Announced His Official Exit From Young and Restless.” He shot down the speculation that retirement is in his near future by writing, “SIMPLY NOT TRUE.”

In 2022, Braeden told Soap Opera Digest in no uncertain terms that leaving the show was nowhere on his radar. “The word retirement s not in my vocabulary,” he declared. “It really is not. I am not just saying it blithely; I mean it.”

Reflecting on his unwavering commitment to the show, Braeden mused, “Do you know how many people I’ve worked with, huge names, in the past, who are no longer with us? Now, admittedly, some of them were older, but some of them were not, and some of them were younger. And they all thought, without them, the show would not last! That’s one of the greatest delusions you can have. It’ll go on. Maybe not as successfully, but it’ll go on. You have no idea how many actors I’ve met in the course of my career who thought that without them, a certain series wouldn’t last. My ass! So it’s a combination of being proud of what you do, fiercely protective of what you do, but also modest in the sense that you know they can ax you. Audience may not like it, but they’ll get used to it!”

Related

Why Y&R's Roger Howarth Was 'Genuinely Nervous' To Work With Eric Braeden (Excl)

Over the course of his decades-long soap opera career, Roger Howarth (Matt/Mitch, Young and Restless) has worked with a slew of A-list, Daytime Emmy-winning heavy hitters, from Erika Slezak (One Life to Live‘s Viki Lord, the sister of his character, Todd) to Maura West (they intersected on both As The World Turns, where they played […]

The actor went on to say that when it comes to the longevity of his Y&R carer, “I’ve been very lucky, very fortunate,” and that he was touched by how much his desire to continue on the show meant to fans. continuation. “I am not saying this falsely modestly — it surprises me,” he shared. “Makes me very happy, though, to know it!

Earlier this year, the actor expounded on what keeps him in Genoa City so many years into his tenure as Victor in an interview with TV Insider, musing, “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.”

In that same interview, Braeden acknowledged that the thought of retiring has occurred to him — but only briefly. “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 said.

Which is good news for the millions of fans who simply can’t imagine a Genoa City without Victor Newman!