In the premiere episode of the audio and video podcast series “Soapy Hosted by Rebecca Budig and Greg Rikaart,” hosts Rebecca Budig (“The Bold and the Beautiful,” “All My Children”) and Greg Rikaart (“The Young and the Restless,” “Days of our Lives”) sat down with their first guest, “The Young and the Restless” star Eric Braeden (Victor Newman).
In an exclusive clip released to Soap Opera Network, Braeden reveals how the late Dabney Coleman (“9 to 5,” “Tootsie”) played a part in his decision to meet with CBS executives and notes that he was initially only supposed to do three months on the show, but it ended up becoming a long-lasting career in daytime television that has since spanned more than 45 years.
Watch the exclusive clip of Braeden on “Soapy” below.
In another clip, Braeden points out the difference between working on a soap and other genres, including primetime and theater work.
“People have no idea. Nighttime actors, theater actors… I’ve done it all, have no clue what we do. None,” responds Braeden, who adds that working in movies like “Titanic” and other television genres can be “bloody boring” compared to working on soaps after being asked by Rikaart to explain the difference.
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“You [both] know we make very few friends doing a soap because you have no time to get to know each other. I remember all the friends I did nighttime with: ‘100 Rifles’ with Burt Reynolds, Jim Brown, Raquel [Welch]; [‘Escape from the] Planet of the Apes,’ ‘Colossus.’ I knew them all for years because you sit and you bull$#*%. You have time in between scenes while they’re lighting the stuff. [In soaps] you have no time for that. None. You come on the set, you work. Boom.”
Aptly titled “Soapy Hosted by Rebecca Budig and Greg Rikaart,” the podcast features lively, nostalgic conversations with beloved past and present stars and creatives from across the entire soap opera community and all networks and platforms, including daytime and primetime. From unforgettable storylines to behind-the-scenes insights, the series celebrates the genre’s rich history, passionate fanbase and the talent that continues to bring these iconic stories to life.
Premiering on the network’s official YouTube Channel, with all-new episodes dropping every Tuesday through September 30, the podcast will take a deep dive into the legacy, fandom and enduring appeal of soap operas.
Subsequent episodes releasing in July include interviews with Deidre Hall (Marlena Evans, “Days of our Lives”), Sheila Ducksworth (Executive Producer, “Beyond the Gates”) and Lauralee Bell (Christine Blair, “The Young and the Restless”).
“We decided, since we knew each other so well, that we should interview all the people that we know, and people that we don’t know, in this genre,” said Budig, introducing the first episode. Chiming in, Rikaart noted, the podcast was also a way to “celebrate our genre, coming from a place of love and reverence, and respect, for the incredibly challenging, hard and fun work that we get to do in daytime soaps.”
Additional episodes will include interviews with Maurice Benard (Sonny Corinthos, “General Hospital”), Tracey Bregman (Lauren Fenmore, “The Young and the Restless”), Marc Cherry (Creator, “Desperate Housewives”), Scott Clifton (Liam Spencer, “The Bold and the Beautiful”), Eva LaRue (Natalia Ramirez, “General Hospital”), Christian LeBlanc (Michael Baldwin, “The Young and the Restless”), Cameron Mathison (Drew Cain, “General Hospital”), Karla Mosley (Dani Dupree, “Beyond the Gates”), Lawrence Saint-Victor (Carter Walton, “The Bold and the Beautiful”), Melody Thomas Scott (Nikki Newman, “The Young and the Restless”), Heather Tom (Katie Logan, “The Bold and the Beautiful”) and Tamara Tunie (Anita Dupree, “Beyond the Gates”).
In addition to YouTube, episodes will also be available on all other major podcast platforms, including Audacy, Spotify and Apple.
Produced by the Paramount Multiplatform Production Group, “Soapy Hosted by Rebecca Budig and Greg Rikaart” is executive produced by Mike Benson. Andrew Pemberton-Fowler serves as producer.
The first episode of “Soapy,” featuring Eric Braeden as a guest, can be watched below.
