Emmy-winning actor Eric Braeden, who plays the powerful Victor Newman on the No. 1 daytime drama "The Young & The Restless," celebrated 20 years on the CBS show last Wednesday.
Emmy-winning actor Eric Braeden, who plays the powerful Victor Newman on the No. 1 daytime drama "The Young & The Restless," celebrated 20 years on the CBS show last Wednesday.
The "Y&R" gang threw him a big shindig at CBS Television City in Los Angeles. Come party with me and find out why Scott Reeves (Ryan) is wet and late, why beautiful Melody Thomas Scott (Nikki) is speaking German and why Jeanne Cooper (Katherine) is sporting a big fake mustache.
Studio Heads
Studio 43 at CBS Television City is humming. "Forty-three" is one of two sound stages used to produce the mega-popular daytime drama "The Young & The Restless." But today it looks more like party central and is packed with cast, crew and media.
The man of the hour, Eric Braeden, is due to arrive at any moment. So I wait with "Y&R" matriarch Jeanne Cooper, who plays grande dame Katherine Chancellor.
Cooper sparkles. Don't let her much-loved and matronly character Kay fool you. All decked out in black leather, Cooper is as hip as they come. She dons a Victor Newmanesque fake mustache in salute to her co-star, and we talk about her own 25 years on the show.
I ask her if she can believe that Braeden has been on the show almost as long as she has.
It's "unreal. It is amazing," Cooper tells me.
And her advice for the more junior cast members, some of whom were barely out of diapers when the show first aired?
"Well, as long as you make yourself happy and have a passion for it," Cooper says, actors should stay with it. "Once the passion stops and it becomes a job, you don't go 20 years in this or anything."
Off the set, Cooper says, she keeps busy with her jewelry line based in Florida, a Canadian charity and her own charity, the Katherine Chancellor Foundation.
I bid goodbye to Cooper and head over to actor Christian LeBlanc, who plays Genoa City attorney Michael Baldwin.
The very funny LeBlanc tells me that he's been on the show for a total of six years, with a three-year break intermixed. Does he intend to stay on the show this time?
"If that car doesn't get me, the one that goes around Genoa City hitting people. If I miss that I'm fine. I'm having a ball," LeBlanc says, joking about the way some cast members have been killed off.
I also bend the ear of everyone's favorite brunette bombshell Alex Donnelly, who plays the cunning and sexy Diane.
We chat about her bizarre storyline, which involves hiding Victor's ... um ... semen in a cryogenic freezer in her closet. For the rest of the story, you have to watch the show. This is, after all, a family column.
Victor Victorious
The applause comes through the crowd as one of Hollywood's hottest onscreen couples, Joshua Morrow (Nicholas) and Sharon Case (Sharon), make their entrance. Cameras flash on the handsome pair, but they move aside for onscreen dad Braeden.
Just as tall and dignified in person as he seems on camera, Braeden makes his way to the podium. As he does, he is awash in flashing cameras and good wishes from cast members.
Even if you've never caught Braeden on "Y&R," chances are you've seen his work elsewhere. Braeden co-starred as John Jacob Astor in the tidal-wave hit "Titanic." He's also appeared in more than 120 television series, as well as dozens of telepics. Braeden's co-stars have included legendary performers Bette Davis, Marlon Brando and Geraldine Page.
But the German-born actor (he emigrated to the U.S. in 1959) is best known as the patriarch of Genoa City: Victor Newman. And the actor is wildly popular. Braeden won a Daytime Emmy Award for outstanding lead actor in a daytime series in 1998, a Soap Opera Digest Award in 1997, and a People's Choice Award in 1992.
Braeden was also just nominated as favorite daytime actor by Soap Digest. Awards will be handed out March 10.
Braeden has worked his way to the podium now, but before he has a chance to speak, a phone rings. A bit confused, Braeden answers the phone handed to him.
The voice on the other end is familiar.
"Hi, Eric, this is Governor Jesse Ventura calling," a voice says.
It's Braeden's number one fan.
The Minnesota governor tells Braeden, "I want to come on the show and do some dastardly deeds."
The next call is from the president of CBS Television, Leslie Moonves, who thanks Braeden for making "The Young & The Restless" so successful and promises to take him out for a drink when he comes to Los Angeles.
"Are you buying?" Braeden asks playfully. Moonves assures him that he will.
After hanging up with Moonves, Braeden turns to the crowd. Quietly and methodically, Braeden thanks by name all those people involved in the show -- from his co-stars to the wardrobe people.
Braeden also acknowledges the writers and producers of the show for allowing him to play "the richest character I've ever had a chance to play."
At times, Braeden gets a bit choked up, once even turning to his buddy and co-star Doug Davidson (Paul) and saying, "Dougie Davidson, this is difficult; I told you this would be difficult."
Above all, Braeden thanks his wife Dale and son Christian, a screenwriter. It's a touching and memorable moment.
But I must say that although accolades poured in from the writers, producers, and co-stars, one of the most original tributes was made by one of my favorite "Y&R" stars, the truly lovely Melody Thomas Scott.
Pretty In Pink
Scott (Nikki) is everything you think she would be: Dressed in a smart pink suit, she is even more beautiful in person than on television.
Though she speaks both French and Spanish, Scott delivers a heartfelt message to Braeden in his native German. She tells me later what a challenge it was to speak the language. But I think she was simply charming.
She jokes that since she's been on the show one year longer than her onscreen estranged husband Braeden, she's still leading him along by the hand.
As for the true Braeden, Scott says, "I think people would be surprised to see he's not the serious, intimidating presence, but that he can actually be very silly, very funny. He loves to tell jokes and hear the latest gossip. He knows how to have a good time."
And are their characters on the marital mend?
"I guess we're on the long road back to getting back together," Scott tells me.
Scott says goodbye and heads over to where Braeden is being photographed -- the photographers want the two stars together.
As I turn around, I spot actor Scott Reeves, who plays the hunky Ryan. He's been noticeably absent from the party.
I ask him where in the heck he's been.
He grins and says: "Stuck on the 101 (freeway) because of the rain," and makes a steering wheel motion with his hands.
He comes over and we talk for a while. He's a truly funny and charming guy. Maybe we'll catch up with him again in a future column.
Cliffhanger
On the way out, I speak briefly with Morrow (he plays Braeden's onscreen son Nicholas) and Case, who plays Nicholas' wife. The pair praises Braeden as "The Man." And that description just about sums it up.
For diehard "Y&R" fans, there is only one Victor Newman, and only one guy who can play him.
But can we expect another 20 years from Braeden?
In true daytime drama fashion, the actor grins and tells me slyly: "I don't know."
I sure hope so.
Playing Forward. The 7-foot-2 (and change) Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was scrunched into seat 1A on a Delta flight from Los Angeles to San Francisco last week. The basketball great and assistant coach for the L.A. Clippers looked very much the author in a hat and reading glasses. He's on tour to promote his book "A Season on the Reservation."
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