‘The Young and the Restless’ star Eric Braeden refuses to retire: ‘Hell no’
Actor Eric Braeden, 82, tells Fox News Digital he has no plans to slow down after he announced he was cancer-free.
Eric Braeden is showing no signs of slowing down.
"The Young and the Restless" star, best known for his portrayal of Victor Newman on the hit soap opera, revealed he won't be leaving the series any time soon.
When Fox News Digital asked Braeden, 82, if he had plans for retirement after recently beating cancer, he responded with an emphatic, "No, hell no, no, no."
'THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS' STAR ERIC BRAEDEN ANNOUNCES HE IS 'CANCER-FREE': 'TO HELL WITH IT'
Veteran actor Eric Braeden, 82, tells Fox News Digital he refuses to retire after recently announcing he is cancer-free. (CBS)
"I've known friends and colleagues of mine … athletic friends of mine who suddenly are retired. And now what? Pickleball?" Braeden joked.
Braeden has played his popular character on the classic soap opera for more than 43 years. Earlier this year, "The Young and the Restless" celebrated its 50th anniversary, and he called the milestone "unbelievable."
"The Young and the Restless" celebrated its 50th anniversary earlier this year. (Sonja Flemming/CBS ©2022 CBS Broadcasting, Inc.)
After being part of the popular daytime series for four decades, the veteran actor shared his secret to a lasting career in Hollywood.
"The first answer is money," Braeden shared. "And the second answer, actually, the more profound answer is that I enjoy doing what I'm doing. I really do. I still feel very good about it.
"We have some very good actors in the show, wonderful actors.
Eric Braeden revealed he was undergoing treatment for cancer. (Steve Granitz/CBS Photo Archive)
"When you start rehearsing it, it starts making sense. And then suddenly you do the scene and say, ‘That's it. It felt real.’ That feeling of satisfaction, of having done a scene that seems real, still has not left me. I love it, I still love it today."
In January 1980, Braeden signed up to be part of "The Young and the Restless" cast that would change his professional life forever.
He revealed he nearly left the show until the "genius" show creator, William "Bill" Bell, wrote brilliant scenes about Braeden’s character, Victor Newman, that convinced him to stay.
In the soap opera, Eric Braeden plays Victor Newman, who is married to Melody Thomas Scott's character, Nikki Newman. (Sonja Flemming/CBS)
"I had asked him to please write something that explained why I was, the bad a-- guy that I was," he noted.
"Once I did those scenes with Nikki, Melody Thomas Scott, who plays my longtime wife — we've been married five times, I adore her. But once I did the scene, I went to my dressing room and called my wife, my real wife, and said, ‘I'm staying.’"
The actor faced even bigger challenges offscreen. Earlier this month, Braeden announced he was cancer-free after he went public with his diagnosis in April.
Braeden admitted his cancer diagnosis took a toll on his 60-year marriage with his wife and college sweetheart Dale Russell Gudegast.
WATCH: ‘THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS’ STAR ERIC BRAEDEN DETAILS HIS BLADDER CANCER: ‘BURNS LIKE HELL’
While he explained that it's "typical" for health struggles to put a dent in a marriage, Braeden detailed how patient his wife was during his cancer journey.
"Sometimes you get into a sh--ty mood, and you take it out on whoever is closest to you. … Then, you ask for forgiveness, and everything is cool again," he remarked.
"Marriage is not about tolerance, but acceptance. … But the enduring thing is really liking and respecting the person. That's really what it's all about."
Eric Braeden is best known for his portrayal of Victor Newman on "The Young and the Restless." (Getty Images)
In May, Braeden revealed his cancer was initially misdiagnosed.
ERIC BRAEDEN, 'THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS' ACTOR, REVEALS CANCER DIAGNOSIS IN EMOTIONAL VIDEO
The misdiagnosis made Braeden want to spread awareness about his health condition and encourage men to not be fearful of making a doctor’s visit.
Braeden candidly spoke out about his diagnosis and suggested men should constantly monitor their health.
Eric Braeden got emotional during a Facebook Live while discussing his cancer diagnosis. (Eric Braeden Facebook)
"It is bladder cancer, to be very specific … you can imagine not a nice thing to hear," he detailed. "You know, you face it."
After Braeden discovered he had cancer, his doctors suggested surgery during which they performed a cystoscopy to "remove the cancer." He additionally said that the doctors noticed "high-grade cancer cells" in his system.
He further explained that he couldn’t urinate properly, and it was a "scary feeling." Braeden said he felt the "build up" and admitted it was "painful."
"In order to prevent any future outbreak, one undergoes what is called a BCG treatment," he noted.
According to the American Cancer Society, "Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG), is a germ that's related to the one that causes tuberculosis, but it doesn't usually cause serious disease. When BCG is put into the bladder as a liquid through a catheter, it helps ‘turn on’ the immune system cells there, which then attack the bladder cancer cells."
Braeden previously explained via Facebook Live that he underwent various treatments, including three prophylactic infusions containing "some stuff that apparently kills the cancer."
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"Whenever they give you that infusion, that big infusion burns like hell for a while," he confessed.
Although he is now cancer-free, the soap opera star said his health journey isn’t over and he is recovering.
"My state of mind is good. But I don't give a damn. You fight it," Braeden proudly said.
"I've been working out as much as I could. … I'm an athlete, always have been all my life, and I'm used to a certain amount of pain or discomfort."
The German actor prides himself on being a regimented athlete and former soccer player.
Braeden has appeared in over 120 television series and feature films, including the role of John Jacob Astor in James Cameron’s epic Academy Award winner, "Titanic." (Getty Images)
While he battled the disease, Braeden continued to work full time on the daytime drama and has remained positive through his extensive treatments.
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When Fox News Digital asked if he has plans to work on other projects, Braeden emphasized that he only loves "doing what I’m doing."
Braeden has appeared in over 120 television series and feature films, including the role of John Jacob Astor in James Cameron’s epic Academy Award winner, "Titanic."
His other credits include starring in "100 Rifles," "Escape From the Planet Of The Apes," "The Ultimate Chase" and many others.
Actor Eric Braeden and Dale Russell Gudegast share one son together, Christian Gudegast. (Getty Images)
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Braeden said he would only sign on to another movie if it was directed by his son, Christian Gudegast, the one child he shares with his longtime wife.
The soap opera star was most recently featured in the 2018 critically acclaimed box office hit, "Den of Thieves," written and directed by his son, starring Gerard Butler, Pablo Schreiber, O’Shea Jackson and 50 Cent.
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