Eric Braeden will have lived eight decades on this planet when he turns 80 on April 3, and over half of those years -- 41 to be exact -- have been spent playing The Young and the Restless' Victor Newman. So, does the actor plan to hang up his hat at the CBS soap opera and focus on retirement joys like grandchildren, traveling, and relaxing -- full-time? His response: "Hell no!"
In a new interview with People, Braeden says that retirement hasn't factored into his plans, at least for the foreseeable future.
"I feel very loyal to The Young and the Restless, very beholden to Victor, and very beholden to the audience who has supported us for all those years," he shares. "I intend to stay as long as I can."
Though he is officially entering octogenarian territory, Braeden says he has no plans to slow down and live like he's an old man. So, as much as retirement is completely off his radar, daily exercise is completely on his radar; he begins each day with 100 left-right combinations of 100 hooks, 100 uppercuts, and planks.
"I learned from early on, what you do in the last mile is what you are judged by," he says. "So, I've got to keep on plugging, keep on fighting, keep on working, and never give up. I think one of the worst things to do is to sit down and contemplate my navel. The old saying is so true: If you don't use it, you lose it."
For more from Braeden about his 80th birthday and his 41years at Y&R -- including a very self-aware confession that he's "not the easiest guy to get along with" -- check out People's full article here.
How do you feel about Eric Braeden's plans to put off retirement as long as possible? What do you hope for Victor as his portrayer enters his 80s? We want to hear from you -- so drop your comments in the Comments section below, tweet about it on Twitter, share it on Facebook, or chat about it on our Message Boards.
