POWER SURGE

Y&R's Victor Comes Roaring Back At Newman As His Portrayer, Eric Braeden, Wages War Against Cancer.

- Mara Levinsky

It's a pivotal time for Victor Newman, who has just reclaimed the reins of power at Newman Enterprises, much to the dismay of his warring offspring, Adam, Nick and Victoria. Digest checked in with Eric Braeden about Victor's power move and his own real-life health battle.

Soap Opera Digest: Like many fans, I've been grinning from ear to ear watching Victor take back control of Newman Enterprises - ousting Adam, demoting Victoria, making Nikki the CEO of Newman Media. How do you feel about these power moves?

Eric Braeden: I loved doing those scenes. I think it's about time we're back to that! I hate that in-between bulls--t, where he's neither retired nor [in charge]. It was high time and I loved it!

Digest: What was your take on the arc that led into this, where Victor decided to take a step back and tried to let his kids kind of figure out their corporate dynamics amongst themselves?

Braeden: You know, hope springs eternal! Obviously, every father would love his family to get along. And you find out, painfully, that certain habits die hard. He certainly gave it a try and I mean, the brilliance of the Adam story, from its very beginning, when it was conceived by Bill [Bell, Y&R's creator and former head writer], which bears fruit now and has for quite some time, is that obviously, Adam feels perennially lesser than, and feels like an outsider. And that is so deeply imbued that try as Victor may, he seemingly does not ever get rid of that feeling. And that is a wellspring for all kinds of drama. It's fantastic! It's brilliantly done.

Digest: I see a range of opinions online about whether Victor treats Adam fairly or if he's not giving Adam the credit he deserves. Where do you fall on that?