‘The Young and the Restless’ Star Peter Bergman Admits He and Eric Braeden Had ‘Trouble Getting Along’
Peter Bergman is a famous star on The Young and the Restless. Since 1989, the three-time Daytime Emmy winner has played everyone’s favorite hero Jack Abbott. While Jack has faced much drama onscreen and offscreen, Bergman had a tense relationship with a co-star.
‘The Young and the Restless’ co-stars Peter Bergman and Eric Braeden didn’t get along
Bergman was already an established soap star because of his role as Cliff Warner on All My Children. After being fired from the ABC soap opera in 1989, Bergman was quickly hired by The Young and the Restless. The actor replaced Terry Lester as the new Jack.
Starting a new soap opera can be challenging for any actor. Bergman’s early days on the CBS show were tough, especially since he and his co-star Eric Braeden didn’t get along. In an interview with ET Canada, Bergman explained his and Braeden’s relationship during the early years.
“I think people might be surprised to know that at the very beginning, Eric and I had a lot of trouble getting along,” Bergman revealed. The actor took the blame for the animosity on set, “I came on to replace someone in a very famous role that was very popular, and the only way to do it was to come in and take over. Just take over any scene I’m in. Just be Jack Abbott, decide who Jack Abbott is, and not let anybody tell me.”
Bergman’s approach to his new role didn’t go over well with Braeden. “I don’t think I fully considered that was a little bit of a slap in the face to all the people who had worked with Terry Lester in this role and treasured those memories, Eric among them.”
Their characters have a famous rivalry on ‘The Young and the Restless’
Bergman’s character Jack and Braeden’s persona Victor Newman have an epic rivalry. Jack and Victor’s feud is one of the many reasons The Young and the Restless is successful. Most of their fighting revolves around business.
Jabot is a competitor against Newman Enterprises, and Victor always tried to take them down. Their bitter rivalry created many jaw-dropping moments. One iconic moment had Jack throwing a chair through a window after discovering Victor was working at Jabot. Another pivotal moment is when Victor has a heart attack during an argument, and Jack leaves him for dead.
Jack and Victor are still rivals when it comes to business. However, the men are on more cordial terms these days. Jack and Victor have gained a newfound respect for each other and offered support during a crisis.
What is Peter Bergman and Eric Braeden’s relationship like now?
Behind-the-scenes drama is common in soap operas, especially The Young and the Restless. Bregman and Braeden’s real-life feud is one of the longstanding rumors that’s plagued the show. In 1991, the tension between the two actors resulted in a physical fight, which almost resulted in them losing their jobs.
Luckily things have cooled between the two men, and they’re on better terms. “Eric and I had very different ways of working. What has developed over the years, though, is a genuine respect for each other, a joy in sharing probably the oldest enmity in the history of television.”
