I knew that Eric Braeden was born in Germany, that it was
not his real name, and obviously that Mr. Braeden has been a
fixture of daytime television for decades, but besides that,
nothing. Having watched The Young and the Restless
for several years, I knew his character Victor Newman,
however, I'LL BE DAMNED was enlightening as to Mr.
Braeden's contribution to the evolution of TV's ultimate
bad boy. The author mentions his famous friends, but not all
of them are in show business per se: as in everything in his
life, Mr. Braeden is one for variety, and a lot of them are
sports figures, Mr. Braeden being a sports enthusiast and
gifted athlete himself, as well as activists.
Mr. Braeden is, even after more than a half century in
America, a proud German, but his contribution to tolerance
on every level is amazing. His journey from Germany to the
United States is quite an enlightening one, but no more so
how he came to acting. Eric Braeden is a very determined
man, and once he has set his sights on something, not much
will deter him. He is a rather unusual star: a family man
through and through, and his love for his wife and son is
boundless.
I'LL BE DAMNED is a very well chosen title, as it is one of
Mr. Braeden's favourite expressions, and a testament to his
humility as well. He is confident in his abilities, but
never arrogant, although he is very opinionated. The book is
very well written, and anyone who knows Mr. Braeden's
spoken voice will immediately feel the author talking: it's
uncanny how it sounds like him! Of all the anecdotes, I
think my favourite is when Mr. Braeden worked with James
Cameron on the movie Titanic. The book is logically
structured and illustrated with several wonderful
photographs. I'LL BE DAMNED is a must-read for any fan of
Eric Braeden, but also for anyone who is interested in a man
who has used his profession to do good, to do something
"that matters", in the author's own words.
In this startling candid and poignant memoir, the legendary
Emmy Award-winning star of The Young and The
Restless, America's #1 soap opera, chronicles his
amazing life, from his birth in World War II Germany to his
arrival in America to his rise to humanitarian and daytime
superstar for the past thirty-five years.
For nearly four decades, fans have welcomed the star of
television’s number-one daytime show, The Young and the
Restless, into their living rooms. While they’ve come
to know and love the suave Victor Newman, few truly know the
man behind the character, the supremely talented Eric
Braeden. I'll Be Damned is his story—a startling
and uplifting true tale of war, deprivation, determination,
fame, and social commitment that spans from Nazi Germany to
modern Hollywood.
Braeden’s journey from a hospital basement in Kiel to the
soundstages of Los Angeles has taught him more about joy,
heartbreak, fear, dignity, loss, love, loneliness,
exhilaration, courage, persecution, and profound
responsibility to the global community than he could have
hoped to learn in several lifetimes. Growing up in the years
after Germany’s defeat, Braeden knew very little about the
atrocities of his parents’ generation, until he arrived in
America as a teenager—a discovery that horrified and
transformed him. Trying to redress the wrongs of his
homeland, he has dedicated his life to humanitarian
work—even forming the German American Culture
Society—working for decades to show the world that what we
share as humans is far more important than what separates us
from one another.
Told with openness, candor, humor, heart, and occasional raw
vulnerability, I’ll Be Damned reveals a man
committed to making the world a better, more loving place.
Filled with sixteen pages of photos from his decorated life
and career, I’ll Be Damned will be a treasured
keepsake for Y&R fans, and is an inspiring
testament to the goodness within us all.
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