Y&R's Eric Braeden says fans kept him in the shoes of Victor Newman for 40 years

While celebrating four decades of playing The Young and the Restless' Victor Newman, Eric Braeden says there's one major reason he has stayed with the CBS soap opera for 40 years: entertaining fans.

As viewers of The Young and the Restless patiently await this week's special episodes celebrating Eric Braeden's 40th anniversary as Victor Newman, the actor is opening up about his long career in daytime. He's been in the shoes of Genoa City's most iconic business mogul since the price of gas was just 36 cents per gallon -- and he wouldn't have it any other way.

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As he tells Variety, after such an extended span of working on a show that typically shoots 100 to 120 pages a day, Braeden can't imagine toiling at the pace of what he calls "nighttime TV."

"I think that would bore the s-- out of me," he tells the publication, adding that his personal best when it comes to the amount of material he's filmed in one day was 62 pages of dialogue "about four or five years ago."

Fans will have to wait and see whether or not Braeden's anniversary episodes scheduled to air February 18, 19, and 20 will include such heavy dialogue from the soap opera veteran. Either way, Y&R viewers are sure to be entertained, as the storyline will involve a big 50th anniversary bash for the Newman Enterprises empire and briefly bring back several fan-favorite characters who've been connected to Victor in various ways. As Soap Central previously reported, the characters returning for the celebration are Victor's grandson Noah Newman (Robert Adamson); his first wife, Julia (Meg Bennett); and Victor's brother, Matt Miller, played by Robert Parucha.

Braeden is hoping that fans enjoy the special episodes dedicated to him and his Y&R alter ego, because entertaining fans is the number one reason he has stepped into Victor's shoes each day for the past 40 years -- and the reason he will continue to do so.

"Daytime TV people tend to appreciate the connection to the audience," he says. "You meet families with three or four generations who watch the show. And then you realize why you're doing it. Beyond the money, you're doing it to entertain."

What do you think about the way Y&R is celebrating Eric Braeden's 40 years as Victor Newman? What are some of your favorite memories from Victor's time in Genoa City? 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.

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