Read More Than Lines, Actor Tells Students

Actor Eric Braeden, who stars as Victor Newman on “The Young and the Restless,” taught a lesson in life Thursday to students at La Monte Academie.

After watching them perform a skit based on the popular daytime drama, Braeden gave acting and career tips to the students.

“The first thing you need to do is talk yourself out of it,” Braeden told those in the class who aspire to be actors. “Life in Hollywood is a tough one, strangely tough.”

Braeden also signed autographs for students and teachers, and posed for pictures.

The reviews were definitely positive.

“I want to be an actor,” said student Michael Boyjian, 11, “and I was encouraged by what he said. I learned that, when you try to do something, sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t.”

Another student, 17-year-old Brett Chapin, counts himself among Braeden’s fans. “I’ve watched the show and Victor for nine years,” he said, showing off the actor’s autograph.

Braeden, who immigrated to the United States from his native Germany after graduating from high school in 1959, also shared personal experiences.

Still known at the time as Hans Gudegast, he had only small roles at first portraying Germans. He gained national recognition, however, as Capt. Dietrich in the “Rat Patrol” series in the 1960s.

At the insistence of studio executives, he changed his name when he landed a major role in the the Universal Studios film “Colossus: The Forbin Project.”

In 1980, Braeden began playing the suave, sophisticated Victor Newman on “The Young and the Restless.”

At first, he told the students, he felt limited in the role because of the speed with which soap operas are filmed. Eventually, though, “I learned to look at soaps as a challenge,” he said.

Now, however, with a People’s Choice award, several Emmy nominations and Soap Opera Award’s Best Actor commendation to his credit, Braeden said: “I’m amazed at the response I get.”

One key to his success, the actor said, has been education. He told the students that reading is absolutely vital to their personal and professional growth.

“The more you read, [the more] life becomes extraordinarily interesting,” Braeden said. “The more intelligent you are, the better you are as an actor.”

Braeden also talked about his involvement in German American issues and his role as a co-founder of the German-American Cultural Society, which aims to advance German-Jewish dialogue and to help counter what he said is a generally negative perception of Germans.

Ann Sullivan, principal of the private school, said she was impressed by the depth of Braeden’s experience.

“I loved how he emphasized reading,” she said. “As an educator, that was cool.”