In addition to "The Rat Patrol" (1966) created by Tom Gries Braeden also had roles in the movie "100 Rifles" (1969), written and directed by Tom Gries and in the movie "Lady Ice" (1973), produced and directed by Tom Gries.
He became a naturalized citizen while in college.
Was awarded the Federal Medal of Honor by the president of Germany for promoting a "positive, realistic image of Germans in America."
Eric Braeden Detailed Biography -
Eric Braeden (born Hans Jörg Gudegast on April 3, 1941) is a German-American film and television actor, best known for his role as the dastardly, on-again, off-again villain Victor Newman on the soap opera The Young and the Restless.
Gudegast was born in Kiel, Germany, the son of a Nazi Party official, and emigrated to the USA in 1960. After emigrating, he changed his name to Eric Braeden. While an American citizen, he also considers himself a loyal citizen of Germany, and holds dual citizenship. Braeden has been awarded many German civics awards.
He racked up many TV and film credits during his first two decades in America, most notably a role on the TV series The Rat Patrol (1966-1968), as well as a starring role in the movie Colossus: The Forbin Project (1969).
In 1980, he was offered the role of self-made magnate Victor Newman on The Young and the Restless. He won a Daytime Emmy for his work in 1998. In the late 1990s, he was offered the role of Colonel John Jacob Astor IV in the (1997) movie blockbuster Titanic as well as a role in the movie Meet the Deedles (1998).
Braeden's birth name was given to the mountain climber from the pricing game Cliff Hangers by fellow Young and Restless cast member Doug Davidson, who was hosting a syndicated version of The Price is Right at the time.
