Eric Braeden is a versatile actor who’s played it all. From starring as a WWII German Captain on television in The Rat Patrol, in dozens of other classic shows, to portraying Victor Newman on The Young & The Restless, one of daytime television’s most popular and enduring characters, Braeden has crafted fine performances which are powerfully memorable and Emmy award winning.
It’s not only TV utilizing his talents. His motion picture appearances are also plentiful and number among the most beloved movies ever. In fact one film he’s in, Titanic, is still one of the most profitable and highly decorated Hollywood features in history. During my phone chat with him, we talked memories of working on James Cameron’s mega hit and his own turn behind the camera as executive producer of The Man Who Came Back starring himself, Billy Zane, Sean Young, Armand Assante and George Kennedy.
“I was the only cast member on Titanic who had any real faith in the movie. I believed in it.” Braeden played John Jacob Astor in the film, which earned a stunning eleven Oscar wins. I asked about the strongest memories connected with the now legendary film. “It had such size and the enormity of the production and sets was overwhelming. But people counted out Cameron because of an extreme budget and logistical scale, but didn’t take into account the story. For all its size and scope, it’s basically a soap opera – a cleverly written soap opera. People love soap operas, so I was convinced it would succeed.”
James Cameron is frequently regarded as the most technically competent and savviest of movie directors in the business. Working with Cameron, Braeden found it was true. “James Cameron was brilliant… so damn bright… one of the most brilliant people I’ve ever met. Titanic was overwhelming on every level and it’s to Cameron’s credit that he brought such a huge project together. I was the only cast member who knew it would be successful. Army Acherd has it on record. Cameron took me into a trailer to play me Celine Dion’s song and I got goose bumps. I just knew it would be a blockbuster hit.”
After years of working in front of the camera, Braeden formed Gudegast Braeden Productions – Gudegast is his real last name – to produce The Man Who Came Back, a historically based film set during America’s Reconstruction in 1876. Braeden plays Reese, a Confederate war hero who becomes embroiled in a labor dispute, which turns bloody violent. The conflict lands him in prison with no hope of return – but he does come back.
On the project, Braeden wasn’t content to only act; he sought to shape the film’s story. “It was initially a revenge picture. I think that’s a deeply felt sentiment for many people… revenge… avenging an injustice. So I was initially attracted to the film for that reason, but I wanted an historical context. There’s an interesting book called ‘Without Sanctuary’ it’s a photo essay with documentary photos of the latter part of 19th century America and early part of the 20th. In his research Glen Pitre, our director who also wrote the screenplay, called me excitedly that he heard of the 2nd bloodiest labor strike in American labor history that occurred in Thibodaux Louisiana, so I told him to incorporate that into the script, because I didn’t just want a revenge story. A revenge movie with no historical foundation or context would have bored me.”
The cast boasts household names like Billy Zane, Sean Young, Armand Assante and George Kennedy, along with solid character actor James Patrick Stewart and renowned boxer turned actor Ken Norton. Braeden’s thankful all his original actor choices were fulfilled on first try. “I called up Billy Zane, showed him the script and he loved it and then Sean Young and Carol Alt joined up – who I’d also known before. James Patrick Stewart who plays the bad guy is an excellent actor. And George Kennedy who has played with so many of the greats in his career like John Wayne – he had played my father on Young & The Restless, so I was thrilled he joined our cast.”
The Man Who Came Back will premiere February in Los Angeles, and Braeden looks forward to the reception. It’s the first film for his Gudegast Braeden Productions and though confident he and his team did their best to make a good film, he’s cautious. “I’ve never believed in putting the cart before the horse. First we’ll see how this one turns out, and then consider another project.”
