A Look At Eric Braeden’s Beautiful Family & His Loving Devotion To 3 Grandkids

Nov 14, 2022

German actor Eric Braeden is best known for his dynamic portrayal of Victor Newman in the CBS soap opera "The Young and the Restless." The series has a staggering number of more than 12,500 episodes, having run from 1973 until the present, and shows no sign of ending anytime soon. Prior to joining the juggernaut of a show, Braeden acted in several TV shows and movies, including "Colossus: the Forbidden Planet," "Titanic," as well as "Escape from the Planet of the Apes."

It was in 1980 that Braeden transformed into the self-made business magnet, Newman, on "The Young and the Restless," which earned him awards for his portrayal. He developed the role, which was only originally slated for a 26-week run, into a mainstay character. Now, he’s the third-longest running cast member of the show, after Doug Davidson, who joined in 1978, and Melody Thomas Scott, who plays Newman’s wife, who joined in February 1979.

At first, Braeden had been hesitant. Recalling his decision to play the character, he said, "Initially, I didn’t want to do this role." Newman perhaps did not seem challenging enough for the young actor, and television was not a glittering enough lure at the time. “I thought, ‘I don’t want to do daytime.’ I thought it was too confining," he remembered. Luckily, Braeden took the part, and the rest is history.  

Newman has been an integral part of "The Young and Restless" throughout the years, and in 2020, Braeden celebrated his 40th anniversary with the show. He even appeared in the crossover series "The Bold and the Beautiful," which premiered in 1987 and featured several Y&R cast members.

Apart from his long and storied career, Braeden counts family as one of his finest accomplishments. It’s clear he is immensely proud of his loved ones, judging from his sweet family posts on social media.

One thing Braeden fights unquestioningly for is his family, both onscreen and off. Whether drawing from his experiences as Newman or from his childhood in Germany, Braeden has become an exemplary father and family man. 

A dedicated grandfather and committed husband, Braeden seems to be quite the opposite of his character and much more down-to-earth. When viewing pictures of Braeden with his grandkids, the actor appears as overwhelmingly excited to spend time with the new generation as any elder. Judging by his Twitter, Braeden lives a life somewhat typical of an 81-year-old, using lots of candid photos, exclamation points and capital letters to express his love for his family. 

Braeden has three granddaughters from his son, screenwriter and actor Christian Gudegast. He is the only child from Braeden's marriage to Dale Russell Gudegast. The two met decades ago at Santa Monica College, where Gudegast majored in art, and Braeden studied economics and philosophy. They have been married now for over 50 years, with Dale describing her husband as “endearing as no one else can be” in a 1997 interview with People. The story also described the physically active Braeden as willingly picking a "wildflower bouquet" for Dale after jogging in West Los Angeles before returning home to her.

In a 2019 anniversary post, Braeden penned a touching tribute to his partner. He wrote, "through trials and tribulations our love has endured, our bonds have become stronger than ever!!!" It's touching to see the man who is so often cruel on screen be present and loving to his off-screen family. That loving affection also extends to his son and his three grandchildren.

Braeden’s son Christian, who worked as a screenwriter for the Gerard Butler-helmed films “London Has Fallen” and “Den of Thieves,” has three daughters. Braeden proudly showed his grandchildren off to the world in the most heartwarming photo on Twitter, captioned simply “My sweet granddaughters!”

He also posted a throwback picture of himself with his eldest granddaughter, who, judging from the photo, is quite the junior equestrian. In the post, he wrote “4 years ago with one of my sweet granddaughters!! How fast it all goes by!! Too fast!!” It’s clear how much love the grandfather has for her, as he frequently posts photos of her and her accomplishments, such as when she made the Honor Society or as a tribute on Women’s Day, which he captioned:

“To my beautiful, bright granddaughter, “‘HAPPY INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY”! The future is with you! And thank all the women who fought for equal rights over the decades! So proud of you!!”

In January 2022, Braeden posted a picture of him with his son, who he once called “the pride of my life” in his memoir “I’ll Be Damned,” and one of his younger granddaughters, alongside the caption, “Three generations,” prompting fans to delight at the beautiful family. 

Alongside work and friends, family comes first for the actor, who told People in 2021 “I love my life,” before he added:

“I love my colleagues. I love my family and friends. So do I see myself retiring anytime soon? Hell no! My life has been enriched by having been introduced to so many things.”

Among those things are surely his grandkids, who he described to Grand Magazine as giving him the best things money can’t buy: 

“Being a grandfather just gives me a feeling of unrestricted, unlimited love. It’s unmitigated joy.”

What do you think about Eric Braeden’s beautiful family? Do you like to share your family’s accomplishments on social media, too? Let us know and don’t forget to pass this on to family, friends and colleagues.