Soap fans love the daytime patriarchs on The Young and the Restless, General Hospital, Days of Our Lives, and The Bold and the Beautiful.
Maurice Benard (Sonny, GH), John McCook (Eric, B&B), Eric Braeden (Victor, Y&R), and John Aniston (Victor, DAYS) are ever-present forces of good and occasionally bad on the daily installments of the soapy dramas!
Soap operas certainly provide an exciting array of world-renowned leading men! While each actor is beyond amazing with many stunning personal and professional achievements, one of them survived a terrible tragedy early in his life. Who was it?
All In The Family
DAYS actor John Aniston has led a rich and full life with many amazing accomplishments. However, he is not the one who survived a tragedy.
In his early years, Aniston’s family immigrated to the United States from Greece. Later, Aniston formalized his interest in acting with a Theater Arts degree from Pennsylvania State University. After graduating from college, Aniston served in the United States Navy as an intelligence officer ultimately attaining the rank of Lieutenant Commander.
Also of note, Aniston has a daughter you may have heard of — her name is Jennifer.
World-Wide Fame and Recognition
His dynamic role on B&B has left John McCook with worldwide fame and recognition! In fact, he’s so famous he caught the interest of Winsor Harmon while co-starring with Winsor Harmon on an episode of Acapulco H.E.A.T. Harmon was so impressed with how well-known McCook was that he ended up starring on the hit CBS sudser as Thorn, Eric’s son.
While he’s led a fabulous life, this renowned daytime patriarch did not live through a tragedy.
A Fighter
There’s no denying that sexy GH actor, Maurice Benard is a fighter. This instantly recognizable face of daytime received a diagnosis of bipolar at the age of 22. Ultimately, during his journey, Benard became a spokesman for the treatment of the disorder with Mental Health America. Not only that, but his character on the soap also has the disorder.
Additionally, Benard loves boxing and other sports. Frequently he’ll share unique photos of his passions on his social media accounts. While he’s been a fighter all his life, Benard is not the one who survived a tragedy.
A Harrowing Escape
There’s no other word to describe Eric Braeden. This fascinating man has lived the most astonishing life. If you haven’t read his book, I’ll Be Damned, yet, you simply must!
As a young child, he escaped the Russian Army’s advance on East Prussia during World War II. His family narrowly missed certain death when they were evacuated from the MV Wilhelm Gustloff ship. Unfortunately, that tragedy ended up costing 9,400 lives, which is the largest loss of life from a single sinking ship ever.
After his tumultuous early life, he went on to achieve many stunning things. In 1958, he won the German National Team Championship in Track and Field. Always a sports enthusiast, his winning kick in the semi-finals ultimately lead to his team the Maccabi Los Angeles winning the 1973 National Challenge Cup.
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