Eric Braeden facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Eric Braeden
Braeden in 2013
Born	Hans-Jörg Gudegast (1941-04-03) April 3, 1941 (age 84) Bredenbek, Free State of Prussia, Germany (present-day Schleswig-Holstein, Germany)
Education	University of Montana
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1960–present
Spouse(s)	Dale Russell ​ (m. 1966)​
Children	Christian Gudegast

Eric Braeden (born Hans-Jörg Gudegast on April 3, 1941) is a famous German-American actor. He is best known for playing Victor Newman on the TV show The Young and the Restless. He also played Hans Dietrich in The Rat Patrol and appeared in big movies like Colossus: The Forbin Project, Escape from the Planet of the Apes, and Titanic. In 1998, he won a Daytime Emmy Award for his role as Victor Newman.

Early life and moving to America

Eric Braeden was born Hans-Jörg Gudegast in Bredenbek, a town near Kiel in northern Germany. His father used to be the mayor there.

In his book, I'll Be Damned, Eric shared a surprising fact. He was a survivor of the MV Wilhelm Gustloff sinking. This was a German ship that was sunk on January 30, 1945, during World War II. It was carrying many German civilians and soldiers. About 9,400 people died, making it the largest loss of life from a single ship sinking in history.

Eric moved to the United States in 1959. He then went to the University of Montana, Missoula to study.

Acting career highlights

When Eric first came to America, he acted in many TV shows and movies. For his first 20 years, he appeared in about 120 different roles! Back then, he used his birth name, Hans Gudegast.

In the 1960s, he often played German soldiers in TV shows like Combat!, which was a long-running World War II drama. He also appeared in a movie called Morituri with famous actors Marlon Brando and Yul Brynner.

Braeden in The Rat Patrol, 1966

From 1966 to 1968, he had a regular role as Captain Hans Dietrich in the TV series The Rat Patrol. He also starred in the 1969 Western movie 100 Rifles. In this film, he played a German military officer. This was the last time he used his birth name for a role.

In 1970, Eric starred in the movie Colossus: The Forbin Project. This was when he decided to change his stage name to Eric Braeden. A movie executive told him that an American film star couldn't have a German name. So, he chose "Braeden" from his hometown, Bredenbek.

Throughout the 1970s, he appeared in many other movies and TV shows. He played Dr. Otto Hasslein in Escape from the Planet of the Apes (1971). He was also the race-car driver Bruno von Stickle in Disney's Herbie Goes to Monte Carlo (1977). He guest-starred in popular shows like The Six Million Dollar Man, Wonder Woman, and The Mary Tyler Moore Show. He also appeared in several episodes of the Western series Gunsmoke.

Braeden in July 2007

In 1997, Eric played Colonel John Jacob Astor IV in the huge hit movie Titanic. He said that filming the scene where his character drowned was "one of the scariest moments" in his acting career.

Playing Victor Newman

In 1980, Eric was offered the role of Victor Newman on the daytime soap opera The Young and the Restless. Victor is a powerful businessman. At first, the role was only for 26 weeks. But his character became so popular that his contract was extended. People loved to hate Victor Newman!

Eric won a Daytime Emmy Award in 1998 for his amazing work as Victor. In 2017, he celebrated 37 years on the show, and in 2020, he marked his 40th anniversary as Victor.

In 2009, there were talks that Eric might leave the show because of contract issues. But CBS announced that he signed a new deal and would stay. He agreed to a lower salary to keep playing the role.

Personal life and interests

Eric Braeden is also a talented athlete. In 1958, using his birth name Hans-Jörg Gudegast, he won the Germany National Team Championship in track and field. He was good at discus, shot put, and javelin.

Later, in 1973, he won the 1973 National Challenge Cup in soccer with the Maccabi Los Angeles team. He scored the winning goal in a semifinal game! In the 1970s and 80s, he was often seen boxing in Los Angeles. He also enjoys playing tennis and has taken part in many celebrity tennis events.

Eric married his college sweetheart, Dale Russell, in 1966. Their son, Christian, is a director. He directed the movie Den of Thieves, which starred Gerard Butler.

Health update

In April 2023, Eric Braeden shared that he was diagnosed with "high-grade" bladder cancer. He found out about it while recovering from knee surgery. By August 2023, Eric announced that he was thankfully cancer-free.

Filmography

Awards and nominations

See also

In Spanish: Eric Braeden para niños

• Victor Newman and Nikki Reed
• Supercouple
• Distinguished German-American of the Year