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
televisionβs number-one daytime show, The Young and the
Restless, into their living rooms. While theyβve 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 storyβa startling
and uplifting true tale of war, deprivation, determination,
fame, and social commitment that spans from Nazi Germany to
modern Hollywood.
Braedenβs 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 Germanyβs defeat, Braeden knew very little about the
atrocities of his parentsβ generation, until he arrived in
America as a teenagerβa discovery that horrified and
transformed him. Trying to redress the wrongs of his
homeland, he has dedicated his life to humanitarian
workβeven forming the German American Culture
Societyβworking 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, Iβll 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, Iβll 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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