Victor Newman is a fictional character from the American CBS soap opera The Young and the Restless. He has been portrayed by Eric Braeden since 1980. Initially a guest character who was to last for eight to twelve weeks, Victor has evolved into the soap opera's leading male figure. Created by William J. Bell as a "despicable, contemptible, unfaithful wife abuser", the character was planned to be killed off and never heard of again. However, after Bell saw Braeden's performance, he decided to sign the actor onto a contract. Braeden was hesitant to work on a soap opera, but eventually signed a contract, and has remained on the series as a regular cast member for over 45 years. The character is widely described as a ruthless villain, while loving to those he holds dear. Over the years, he has also been the center of several controversial plots and relationships.
Victor arrived in Genoa City, Wisconsin for business, and he eventually formed his own worldwide conglomerate, Newman Enterprises. After his first marriage to Julia Newman (Meg Bennett), he formed a romance with stripper Nikki Reed (Melody Thomas Scott). Their union developed into a supercouple pairing, which has lasted over three decades. He shares two children with Nikki, Victoria (Heather Tom/Amelia Heinle) and Nicholas Newman (Joshua Morrow). During his first marriage to her, he cheated with Ashley Abbott (Eileen Davidson). He has also had a long-standing romantic history with Ashley, and they share a child together, Abby Newman (Melissa Ordway). He was briefly married to a woman named Hope Wilson (Signy Coleman) and they had a son together, Adam Newman (Chris Engen/Michael Muhney/Justin Hartley/Mark Grossman), who grew up without knowledge of Victor being his father. He is also known for his long-standing business rivalry with Jack Abbott (Peter Bergman). Victor has had several other romantic relationships, including one with his former daughter-in-law Sharon Newman (Sharon Case), which was poorly received by the actors and public.
Considered an icon and leading man of the soap opera genre, Braeden's distinct performance of Victor has garnered widespread praise from critics, who have described him as legendary and "enthralling". Victor is famously characterized for his power-hungry ways and low-toned voice. Because of the character's popularity, he was made a spokesperson for the Canadian discount store Zellers. Apart from popularity and critical praise, Braeden has also garnered numerous accolades for his performance; most notably a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, presented to him in 2007. He has been nominated at the Daytime Emmy Awards ten times for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series, having won the award in 1998. He has been pre-nominated three times in this category. Additionally, he was the recipient of the "Favorite Male Performer in a Daytime Serial" award at the 18th Annual People's Choice Awards in 1992.
Casting and creation William J. Bell created Victor as a short-term non-contractual role, debuting on February 8, 1980. Bell stated in 1997, "[Victor] would last between eight to twelve weeks, at which time he was to be shot by his wife." However, once he saw Braeden's performance, he thought "the voice, the power, the inner strength", and knew he didn't want to lose the actor; "The first thing was to get Eric under contract, but he didn't want to go under contract", he said. However, Braeden was uneasy about the daytime soap opera genre, admitting years later he thought it was "too confining"; although soon signed a six-month contract. Bell immediately changed Victor's storyline to salvage, redeem and develop the character.
In January 1999, Braeden’s character appeared on The Bold and the Beautiful in a crossover event. Braeden’s appearances on the show were January 25 to January 28 of the same year. On January 27, 2026, it was announced Braeden would crossover to Beyond the Gates as Victor. This event is scheduled to air from June 9 to June 12 of the same year. Braeden made his first appearance during the June 5 episode.
Development Characterization
William J. Bell created Victor as a "despicable, contemptible, unfaithful wife abuser". The soap opera's official website notes: "Victor is loving and protective toward family and loved ones, but if crossed, or if Victor feels that one is not living up to one's full potential; then he can more than live up to the adjective that many have used to describe him ruthless." The Los Angeles Times characterizes him as "charming but complicated", while others publications have described him as a villain, as well as an evil, powerful and ruthless character. Sara Bibel of Xfinity wrote that Victor is a male chauvinist. Although he is often considered malicious, Braeden stated that "Bill Bell was a very wise man" and that "he created someone in Victor who is a very lonely man yet also a man who can be affectionate and loving and forgiving". Shelly Fralic of the Winnipeg Free Press described Victor in 2009, stating:
Fralic also described the character as being "quixotic", who is "deeply layered with arrogance and angst, imbued with all the failings and bravado that a true villain possesses, his dastardly deeds leaving him most recently responsible not only for the death of his own heart donor, but for the near-death of his granddaughter Summer from peanut poisoning". She also noted that he's been jailed, thrown in a psychiatric ward and shot, had amnesia, epilepsy among other events, but "like all villains worth their salt, he's survived it all and inspired respect, if not adoration". Braeden describes the character as "the villain" and as "defensive and always self-protective", stating that he's "not here to win a popularity contest". He stated that he enjoys portraying Victor "more than anything", also describing him as "very complex". Braeden said that "he fought himself to the position he arrived at a number of years ago", and that "he obviously doesn't suffer fools easily, doesn't suffer enemies easily. He wants relationships badly, but doesn't quite trust them. It's a tragic flaw in him because of his childhood." The actor, comparing himself to the character, noted that he is nothing like Victor, stating: "Money makes a lot of things happen for Victor. My God almighty, that's something else that I, Eric Braeden, would never do. I always confront things directly. But when that doesn't work for Victor, he gets out his wallet [...] If you are abusive to him, he will be abusive to you. No one gets away with that. I will not allow anyone to cross that line with the character."
In June 2011, Michael Logan of TV Guide felt that Victor was "pushing it with the fans", stating: "The megalomaniacal patriarch earned considerable viewer backlash last month when he threw his ex-wife [Diane] from the back of an ambulance and left her bruised and bloodied." In an interview with Logan, Braeden stated that Victor "doesn't give a shit" and "he doesn't take any shit", saying that is "the whole point of the character". The actor also stated he does not like women defeating Victor, admitting that he wasn't pleased in a 2003 scene where his daughter Victoria (portrayed by Heather Tom) slaps him.
When asked which storyline he felt affinity for or strongly about in his thirty years during an interview with AOL TV, Braeden stated it was the scenes in which he met his dying mother, Cora Miller (Dorothy McGuire), for the first time since he was seven years old. The actor credited it as the turning point of his career on the show, describing it as "a deeply-felt scene" and something he would never forget. He said:
Relationships
For over three decades, Victor has been romantically linked with Nikki Reed (Melody Thomas Scott). Nikki was originally from the lower walks of life, having been a stripper. After multiple failed relationships, she began a romance with Victor, who taught her about society. They fall in love and have a child, Victoria Newman (Amelia Heinle), and later a son, Nicholas Newman (Joshua Morrow). The couple are widely considered a supercouple within the soap opera media. The writers of The Young and the Restless detailed their characters to marry and divorce or depart from each other in some form or fashion in a continuous cycle, which is a take on the original supercouple formula. Soap Opera Digest relayed the beginning of the pairing's creation and their impact, described as an "inspired decision", led to Victor and Nikki becoming the series' most successful supercouple. In an interview with Dose magazine, Scott said that the couple always has to get back together, but not without a challenge.
Victor and Nikki are recognized as one of daytime television's most prominent couples. They have also garnered a large fan following, dubbed "Niktor" by viewers. In addition, the couple's weddings have been reported by mainstream media. Scott has said: "Let's face facts: Victor and Nikki will always be a huge dynamic, they've been in a circular cycle for over 30 years! Finding a new leading man that you have chemistry with is like finding gold." In a 1994 interview with The Los Angeles Times, the newspaper reported that Victor's relationship with Nikki had "registered an enduring appeal among viewers", with Braeden replying that, "Arguably, it's the idea of this incredibly powerful, wealthy man taking a woman who comes from the wrong side of the tracks into his life, and shaping her and forming her more to his liking. But, of course, no one can shape or form anyone, she remains who she is, has retained her strength, and that causes conflict." In other interviews, Braeden stated that he loves working with Scott and that he "always thought it was an honestly felt love story with great material for conflict with Nikki". He also stated in an interview that he considers Victor's storylines with Nikki to be some of his favorites. Discussing Victor and Nikki's union, former As the World Turns actress Martha Byrne stated: "Young and Restless''' Victor and Nikki are the perfect example of a couple who they can tear apart and put back together how many times? And [the writers] do it really well because they're so stable as characters that you can basically do anything with them now, and the audience will go on the journey with them." The Museum of Television and Radio wrote: "Combined with a series of social-issue storylines covering everything from AIDS to date rape to the plight of the elderly, as well as featuring a group of popular young African-American characters, and several long-term romantic and professional relationships, Victor and Nikki's love story has kept viewers enthralled for many years." They also described their relationship as being a "dominant force" in the soap opera. Daytime journalist Michael Fairman stated: "Victor and Nikki just can't, we mean can't, ever get it together long enough to find any happiness with each other. So, many would say that they deserve each other and the baggage and betrayals that come along with their co-dependent relationship."