For over 45 years, Eric Braeden has starred as Victor Newman on the beloved CBS cleaning soap opera The Younger and the Stressed. Throughout his years on the present, Braeden has created probably the most advanced characters in daytime historical past. Whereas the ruthless Victor Newman was initially meant to be a quick position on the cleaning soap, his susceptible and protecting aspect gained over viewers. As a substitute of enjoying Victor for only a few months as producers initially meant, Braeden has now embodied the character for a number of a long time.
However Braeden’s real-life journey is simply as dramatic as any Y&R storyline. Born in war-torn Germany as Hans-Jörg Gudegast, he got here to America as a youngster with nothing however athletic expertise and ambition. After some success in Hollywood, executives advised him that if he needed to be a star, he’d want to vary his very German title. So Hans-Jörg Gudegast turned Eric Braeden—and on February 8, 1980, the world would meet him as Victor Newman on CBS’ The Younger and the Stressed.
However in January 2025—simply weeks earlier than he was set to rejoice his 45-year anniversary on the present—Braeden would face a devastating loss after the Palisades Fireplace destroyed his real-life dwelling of 45 years. Nevertheless, identical to his Y&R character, Braeden is resilient and continues to push ahead.
So how a lot has the person behind certainly one of TV’s most beloved characters earned over almost half a century? What’s Eric Braeden’s internet value? Let’s break it down.
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View this put up on InstagramWhat’s Eric Braeden’s internet value in 2026?
Eric Braeden’s internet value in 2026 is estimated at $20 million, in line with Superstar Internet Price. That wealth comes primarily from enjoying Victor Newman since 1980—a task that is given him the uncommon luxurious of regular work for over 4 a long time.
In contrast to actors who leap from mission to mission, Braeden has loved constant employment on the No. 1-rated daytime drama for years. Cleaning soap opera salaries aren’t often public, however main performers on long-running reveals can often pull in substantial six-figure paychecks yearly. As arguably essentially the most recognizable face of Y&R and certainly one of daytime’s largest stars, Braeden’s paycheck is definite to mirror his significance to the present.
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How did Eric Braeden change into well-known?
Braeden was born on April 3, 1941, in Bredenbek, Germany, the place his father was mayor. After his father died in 1953, his mother labored in a manufacturing facility to assist 4 sons. Eric excelled at monitor and subject, profitable the German Nationwide Group Championship in 1958. When Braeden was simply 19, he immigrated to the U.S. and labored odd jobs till a monitor and subject scholarship introduced him to Montana State College.
Whereas in faculty, he and a buddy made a small documentary referred to as The Riverbusters. After coming to L.A. searching for a movie distributor, Braeden’s appears and accent bought extra consideration than the precise documentary. Braeden began appearing, touchdown small roles based mostly on his European appears and accent—together with enjoying Captain Hans Dietrich on the WWII sequence The Rat Patrol from 1966-1968.
After scoring the lead within the 1970 sci-fi thriller Colossus: The Forbin Venture, a Common Photos exec advised him it was time to drop his German title. Reluctantly, Hans Gudegast turned Eric Braeden.
“Altering my title was probably the most painful choices I’ve ever made, so I wanted to decide on a reputation that I may nonetheless establish with,” Braeden mentioned. “Eric is a household title, and Braeden is from the title of my village in Germany.”
All through the ’70s, he appeared in movies like Escape from the Planet of the Apes and Disney’s Herbie Goes to Monte Carlo—plus in TV tasks like Gunsmoke and The Mary Tyler Moore Present.
View this put up on InstagramWhen did Eric Braeden be part of ‘The Younger and the Stressed’?
In January 1980, Braeden was provided a 26-week stint on The Younger and the Stressed as Victor Newman, a enterprise mogul who’d function a short lived villain. At first, he wasn’t within the position, however in the end, his spouse—Dale Russell Gudegast—satisfied him to take the problem.
Braeden made one request of Y&R co-creator Invoice Bell: Give Victor a backstory that defined his habits. Bell got here up with the concept for a childhood spent in an orphanage— and all of the sudden, Victor had emotional depth. The second Braeden filmed that scene with Melody Thomas Scott (Nikki Newman) he knew he’d discovered one thing particular.
Viewers liked it. Whereas Victor was alleged to disappear after six months, he turned so fashionable that his contract saved getting prolonged. Now, 45 years later, Victor is certainly one of daytime’s most iconic characters—a sophisticated, fascinating main man.
Associated: ‘Younger & the Stressed’ Star Hits Again at Eva Longoria’s ‘Derogatory’ Feedback In regards to the Cleaning soap
How a lot does Eric Braeden make from ‘The Younger and the Stressed’?
Main daytime actors with a long time of expertise pull severe cash. In line with Eric Braeden’s official bio, Y&R has over 120 million each day viewers worldwide and airs in additional than 30 nations. And since Victor Newman is arguably essentially the most acknowledged daytime character in historical past, Braeden carries great worth for the present.
View this put up on InstagramWhat awards has Eric Braeden gained?
Braeden gained the Daytime Emmy for Excellent Lead Actor in 1998 and has been nominated a number of occasions since—most not too long ago in 2024. In 1992, he gained the Folks’s Selection Award for Favourite Male Performer in a Daytime Collection. He is additionally gained three Cleaning soap Opera Digest Awards.
Past appearing, in 1991, Braeden obtained the Federal Medal of Honor from Germany’s President for selling optimistic German-American relations. In 2007, he earned a star on the Hollywood Stroll of Fame—the primary German-born actor since Marlene Dietrich to obtain this honor. In 2017, Braeden was inducted into the German-American Corridor of Fame—alongside Albert Einstein and Dwight D. Eisenhower.
View this put up on InstagramWhat different roles has Eric Braeden performed?
Exterior of Y&R, Braeden’s most well-known position is enjoying John Jacob Astor IV in James Cameron’s 1997 blockbuster Titanic. Earlier than Y&R, his breakthrough was The Rat Patrol, and his lead in Colossus: The Forbin Venture made him the primary German actor to play an American character in a serious Hollywood movie.
In 2017, Braeden printed his bestselling memoir I will Be Damned, which chronicles his journey from wartime Germany to worldwide cleaning soap star.
What occurred to Eric Braeden’s home within the Pacific Palisades fireplace?
In January 2025, Braeden misplaced his Pacific Palisades dwelling of 45 years to the devastating California wildfires. Fireplace officers initially advised his spouse to not fear—the wind was pushing flames towards the ocean. However inside 20 minutes, their total neighborhood was an inferno.
After Braeden returned and noticed his longtime dwelling was now ash and particles, he broke down. “45 years, man. I did not suppose it will hit me this a lot. I am devastated.” The house was crammed with a long time of recollections—together with celebrating Christmas simply weeks earlier than along with his granddaughter and watching his son Christian Gudegast—author/director of the Den of Thieves movies—penning its scripts.
Although it’s going to take time, Braeden plans to rebuild. In the meantime, he continues engaged on Y&R, the present possible serving as a welcome distraction from the devastating loss.
Is Eric Braeden married? Does he have youngsters?
On October 8, 1966, Braeden married his faculty sweetheart Dale Russell. They’ve one son—blockbuster screenwriter and director Christian Gudegast (Along with writing and directing the Den of Thieves movies, he additionally co-wrote A Man Aside and London Has Fallen.) This October, Eric and Dale will rejoice their milestone sixtieth anniversary!
View this put up on InstagramWhat’s Eric Braeden doing now?
Braeden continues engaged on Y&R with zero plans for retirement. “I am a cussed son of a bitch. I am nonetheless right here,” he mentioned. After almost 46 years, he nonetheless loves these moments when a scene all of the sudden clicks and turns into actual.
View this put up on InstagramBraeden can be a most cancers survivor. In April 2023, he introduced he’d been recognized with bladder most cancers. Fortunately, he was cancer-free by August of the identical yr.
Eric Braeden really embodies the American dream, and he has constructed an empire—together with a reported $20 million internet value—to point out for his a long time of exhausting work. In some ways, his character Victor Newman is much like Braeden himself, confronting each problem with resilience and dedication—along with his household at all times first in thoughts.
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