It would be hard to imagine The Young and the Restless without Victor Newman at the forefront. He became a core part of the show’s family dynamic. Eric Braeden joined the long-running soap in 1980. He was supposed to be there for a short stint. But he’s still the face of daytime. Ahead of the show’s 13,000th episode, Braeden shared his thoughts about retirement. He’s battled health issues over the years, so does he intend on slowing down?
In an interview with TV Insider, Braeden reflected on his soap career. He enjoys playing the iconic role of Victor Newman, and being the corporate mastermind never gets old for him. In fact, Braeden admitted he has no plans to retire.
“I will not; I don’t want to,” he quipped.
MORE: See Lauralee Bell’s video celebrating Y&R’s milestone.
The 83-year-old shared an update about his health. He was diagnosed with bladder cancer in April 2023. Braeden underwent surgery to have the cancer removed. He then followed through with six weeks of immunotherapy treatments. Thankfully, the cancer is under control.
“The cancer is under control, and I will have another cystoscopy in about a month; if that is negative, then I’ll be free for a while,” Braeden explained. “It’s never gone completely. You always have to watch, but signs are very good.”
The legend shared other updates about his health. Braeden underwent knee replacement surgery. He revealed that his “new knee is fully repaired.” Squats and power cleans have helped him regain his strength.
READ THIS: The Young and the Restless star Eric Braeden shares big behind-the-scenes moments.
Y&R fans want to know what’s going on with Victor’s feud with Jack (Peter Bergman). He loves that the show dug into the archives to highlight their complicated relationship with one another. Braeden adores working with Bergman even if their onscreen personas don’t get along.
“Peter and I worked well together as adversaries, and that’s another thing that either works or doesn’t work, and it works,” Braeden said.
Victor is simply out for revenge. This time, Jack is his target. The soap star explained that Victor hadn’t gotten over the night when Jack and Nikki (Melody Thomas Scott) hit rock bottom together. He believes they had an affair.
What are your thoughts on Braeden’s un-retirement plans? Let us know in the comment section.
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