Things You Didn’t Know About Y&R’s Victor Newman

Published on October 25, 2018. Updated March 31, 2022

As a legendary and iconic character on the Young and the Restless (Y&R), Victor Newman is a multifaceted individual who struggles between being good and evil, daily. Audiences love to hate The Moustache and have been on a rollercoaster ride with Newman since the day he stepped into Genoa City in 1980. While fans may think they have Victor figured out, he surprises us all each week. Below are things you might not know about Y&R’s Victor Newman.

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12. In The Beginning…

Victor Newman was originally established as a non-contractual and short-term role, debuting on the show in early 1980. Y&R’s creator William J. Bell had initially intended for the character to last about eight to 12 weeks, where he was slated to be shot by his wife. This all changed after actor Eric Braeden wowed Bell with his talents. William decided to sign Braeden under contract, and the rest is history. Close to four decades later, Victor Newman is one of the most pivotal characters on the Y&R today and a soap opera icon.
© John Paschal/JPI

11. First Wife

Speaking of being shot by his wife, many Y&R audiences link Nikki as Victor’s first wife, as the two got together and married some short years after he entered Genoa City. In actuality, Victor’s first wife was named Julia, and the two were married in 1970, well before they strolled into town in 1980. Victor was quite protective over Julia and alienated her from the rest of Genoa City, leaving her secluded at the ranch.
©Jesse Grant/JPI

10. Birth Place

With that eccentric accent and the way he holds himself, it’s kind of hard to believe that Victor started out in humbler beginnings. Most know that his father Albert abandoned his mother, his family was poor, and he was left at an orphanage at the age of seven. However, how many people know that the family originated from Buffalo, New York? Which also happens to be the place where Victor was born.
©Brian Lowe/jpistudios.com

9. Birthdate

Speaking of, Victor’s actual date of birth seems to be up for debate. While his birthday is said to be on March 7th, his driver’s license lists ’03-06.’ Then there was that episode in 2012 where it was stated that Victor’s birthday was on March 14th. Which one is it? Probably the first one; however, we will simply have to accept that Victor’s birth month is March and leave it at that. Start planning the celebrations now!
©Brian Lowe/jpistudios.com

8. Name Change

Most fans are aware that Victor’s real name is Christian Miller, a name that would end up being passed on to Nick and Noah as a middle name, and eventually become the first name of Nick/Adam’s youngest son. But are there Y&R viewers out there that know how Miller came up with Victor Newman? ‘Victor’ stood for victorious and ‘Newman’ because he was a new man.
© John Paschal/JPI

7. Friendship With Katherine Chancellor

Victor and Katherine always shared such a special friendship. While he and Nikki had their ups and downs, Kay always remained neutral and a good friend to both of them. In the beginning, it was Katherine who originally brought Victor to Genoa City when he ran Chancellor Industries for her during a short time at the beginning of his Y&R tenure.

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6. Dog Lover

Who knew the heartless, ruthless and stern corporate tycoon had such a soft spot for animals? The Moustache is clearly a huge dog lover, owning four pups in total during his time in Genoa City. Albert, Skippy, and Zapato have all passed on, and golden retriever Segundo currently resides with Victor and Nikki at the Newman ranch.
©Brian Lowe/jpistudios.com

5. The Ones That Weren’t Meant To Be

Victor is a controlling father that has had roller-coaster relationships with all his children; however, at the end of the day, despite the rockiness, he does love them. Sadly, Victor would have more kids had it not been for some tragic losses over the years. He had one with wife Julia in the early ‘80s, one with Sabrina in 2008, and one with Ashley Abbott in 2009. Unfortunately, he and Abbott might have also had yet another baby together in 1987, but Ashley decided to terminate it.
©Aaron Montgomery/jpistudios.com

4. Vasectomies

Victor is fertile, as he was able to not only father four kids, but also get a variety of women expecting on four other different occasions. Which makes this next section a true head-scratcher. Victor has had not one but two vasectomies. While the first one clearly didn’t take, as he was able to impregnate not only Julia but Nikki, Hope and Ashley, the second one in 1997 when he was with Diane didn’t seem all that effective either.
© Sean Smith/jpistudios.com

3. No Love

Remember that time that Victor got hit in the groin by a spear and was left impotent? Maybe you remember, maybe you don’t, but yes, it did happen in the late ‘80s, even though it’s hard to believe or even imagine. Clearly, even impotence didn’t stop the infamous Victor Newman when it came to romance, and if you don’t believe that, just refer to the previous section above.
© Howard Wise/jpistudios.com

2. A Genoa City Without Victor

Back in 2009 and 2012, actor Eric Braeden had some contract negotiation issues with the show, and for many weeks within both years, it seemed like there would be a Genoa City with no Victor Newman. How is that even possible? At these points in time, Victor went ‘missing’ or was ‘presumed dead;’ however, he did eventually return! Phew!
©Howard Wise/jpistudios.com

1. Heart of Gold

Many recall that Victor was given a heart transplant in 2009, receiving Colleen Carlton’s heart. The episodes were emotional and bittersweet, as Traci Abbott signed off on donating her daughter’s heart. The Abbotts and Victor have rarely been on good terms, with Victor sabotaging Colleen’s public image right before her passing, but it makes one wonder how things got so bad between these two. After all, in the early 1990s when Colleen was just a baby, Brad and Traci had asked Victor to be her godfather. Things must have been good at that point in time!
© sean smith/jpistudios.com