Young & the Restless Star Eric Braeden Almost Said No to Titanic — Here’s Why

Here’s a fun detour into classic TV meets mega-blockbuster movie territory: Eric Braeden — yep, Victor Newman himself from 'The Young and the Restless' — almost passed on James Cameron’s Titanic. That’s not a typo: one of daytime TV’s iconic villains nearly wasn’t on board the most expensive ship (and movie) in Hollywood history.

Mr. Y&R Meets Mr. Titanic... Reluctantly

So, Braeden has been comfortably playing Victor on CBS for over four decades. When you’ve been the frontman of a soap empire since 1980, you can afford to be picky about your side gigs. According to Braeden, when someone first asked if he wanted to audition for Titanic, he pretty much shrugged it off. Here’s his blunt take, quoted from his recent appearance on the 'Still Here Hollywood' podcast:

'I said, "I don’t give a s*** about James Cameron. I don’t know him."'

That’s one way to put it. Turns out, Braeden wasn’t trying to be difficult — he genuinely wasn’t familiar with Cameron at the time. But family can be pretty persuasive. Braeden’s son, Christian Gudegast (you might know him as the director of Den of Thieves), convinced him he’d be crazy not to at least go take a meeting.

Audition Hiccups (Or, How Not to Win Over Victor Newman)

Braeden finally drove out to the casting director’s office... only for things to get awkward immediately. The casting person showed up late and then seemed confused about who Braeden even was, asking, 'So, what are you doing here?' Maybe not the greeting you’d hope for after an LA commute.

Braeden’s response: 'I just asked myself the same question.' Then he left — without reading for the part. In true Victor Newman style, he called his agents and delivered a warning: 'Don’t ever, ever, ever send me to some bulls*** like that again.'

Cameron Steps In, Victor Relents

Cooler heads eventually prevailed. Braeden’s people called again (maybe with a little more patience this time), explaining that James Cameron himself specifically wanted Braeden to be in the movie.

Now at least a little intrigued, Braeden did his own research and found out the role was John Jacob Astor IV — basically the richest guy on the Titanic, and a real-life business tycoon. Not a big role, but solid enough for a guy with an ironclad day job.

The kicker? When Braeden walked in, he realized Cameron had actually seen and liked him in a 1970 sci-fi thriller called Colossus: The Forbin Project. (Cameron can pull some deep cuts.) After reading a couple lines, Braeden was in.

So, Did Victor Newman Share Screentime with Jack and Rose?

If you’re scanning your memory to find Braeden in Titanic, here’s the scoop: Astor isn’t really front and center, but he does get a moment with Leo and Kate’s characters in the first-class dining room. Scheduling got in the way of more screen time — daytime soap schedules are no joke — but Braeden is content with his slice of Oscar history.

Braeden’s Take Now? No Regrets.

Looking back, Braeden says he’s glad he figured out who James Cameron was and signed on. He’s even willing to drop the 'g' word about him:

'If I’ve ever met a person who I would call a genius without any hesitation, he is that person.'

No word from Cameron about Braeden’s memories, but if you randomly hear Victor Newman’s voice echoing through Pandora in the last couple Avatar movies, now you’ll know why.