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Eric Braeden “pulls the plug” on contract negotiations with ‘The Young and the Restless.’
Eric Braeden who has portrayed Victor Newman on CBS’s number one rated soap opera, The Young and the Restless since 1980 has halted all contract negotiations with parent company, Sony. Last month, it was reported that Braeden would be written off the series due to a breakdown in contract talks.
According to a recent interview with EW.com, the long time Y&R veteran spoke out about his experience with re-negotiating his contract, “We reached an impasse in the negotiations. I have shown flexibility, they have shown none. It is over. I pulled the plug. That’s it. No more. If I show good will, I expect it to be reciprocated. If there is a rigid attitude on the other side, what is there to to negotiate? That’s a sign of utter disrespect. I will not negotiate with people who remain aloof and arrogant about the whole thing. Not after 30 years, I won’t do that.”
Even though Braeden has been dealing with the lack of respect from Sony, he continues to have respect and love for his fellow cast mates, along with head writer, Maria Bell. “I’m saying this with a great amount of sadness because I’ve had nothing but respect for my fellow cast members, I have deep respect for the crew who has done an extraordinary job year in and year out, and I have enormous respect for (head writer) Maria Bell.”
When failing negotiations had come to light, many thought it was going to be a repeat performance like what had happened with Braeden’s co-star, Melody Thomas Scott. She too had reached a stalemate when negotiating a new contract, and had been written off the show before her counteroffer was accepted and she returned to her role as Nikki Newman, Victor’s ex-wife and mother of his children, Nicholas (Joshua Morrow) and Victoria (Amelia Heinle).
Some may remember, this isn’t the first time Eric Braeden has taken a pay cut, it was two years ago, when he was the first cast member who offered to take a cut in pay. While many soaps are feeling the crunch in the past year, Y&Rcannot demand what they used to from CBS, so Sony decided to cut production costs to lower their budget. Sony, however is still making money by selling it’s reruns overseas and to SOAPnet and it continues to be the number one watched soap opera in the US.
Braeden says he’s exploring other opportunities, but he is sad to be leaving the show he has called home for the past 29 years, “It’s slowly sinking in (that I’m leaving), it’s sad.” The actor will last as air as Victor Newman on November 2.
FAN RESPONSE: What do you think about the issues between Eric Braeden and The Young & the Restless/Sony? Do you feel Braeden is overreacting? Or do you feel the show should honor the deal already in place? Where you do stand on the issue? Can Y&R survive the exit of one of its biggest stars? Send your comments to mailbag@tvsourcemagazine.com
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