In a recent interview with Soap Opera Digest, The Young and the Restless star Eric Braeden discussed his life since production on the show shut down due to the coronavirus pandemic. The legendary actor also revealed some of what he’s been doing, as well as his thoughts on his on-screen alter ego’s latest storyline.
Braeden let the magazine know that he misses the work routine on the CBS Daytime drama, as well as plenty of his co-stars. Still, he noted that he hasn’t been depressed over the dramatic change in routine due to COVID-19 because he has kept busy with all of the other things in his life. The actor revealed that during the pandemic, he watched some of the classic episodes that CBS has aired, and he appreciated reliving the moments that have occurred over the past four decades that he’s been on the show — especially those created by the show’s co-creator William Bell. In addition to that, Braeden revealed that he keeps up with the news each day and watches reruns of Seinfeld, among several other things.
In the last new storylines that aired before the break, Adam (Mark Grossman) had blackmailed Victor and taken away Newman Enterprises. Adam accused Victor of killing a man back in Kansas, but then the details of the situation came to light. It appeared as if Adam actually caused the man’s death, and Victor had helped cover it up — keeping the secret all these years. It’s a storyline that Braeden said he appreciated, and he also admitted that he could understand it from a father’s point of view.
“I like that storyline, I do. I like it, and I liked it when Josh [Griffith, head writer] first told me about it. It’s what a father would do! Obviously, at the time, he would have been afraid of legal repercussions for his son, and he didn’t want that to happen, and he forgot about it over the years. I assume that Adam had driven him to the point where he needed to come clean with him… That he kept it under wraps for so many years, I kind of understand that as a father, yeah.”
Throughout the time spent at home, Braeden has remained active on social media, interacting with fans about the soap as well as about politics. So far, Y&R has not revealed when it might start production again, but the actor said he is ready to resume when the time comes.