The Young and the Restless' venerable star Eric Braeden (Victor Newman) is involved in another casting dustup -- but this time it has nothing to do with Y&R.
Braeden was to have appeared in an upcoming episode of CBS's primetime comedy, How I Met Your Mother. The Y&R star, however, apparently backed out on the appearance -- and one of sitcom's stars has taken Braeden to task via Twitter.
"Eric Braeden is a D-Bag. The actor, (Robin's dad) agreed to a cameo, then last night bailed, saying the part wasn't 'substantial' enough," Neil Patrick Harris wrote on Twitter. "We've recast with Ray Wise, a fantastic actor who makes any part 'substantial.' Super excited to welcome him to the family!"
Several hours after his initial tweet, Harris appeared to be less irate.
"Now I feel bad for the D-bag comment," Harris added. "Don't know the guy personally. I'm just fiercely protective of our show."
Harris' change of heart hasn't stopped Braeden from firing back with some heat of his own.
"His choice of words bothered me," Braeden told Entertainment Weekly in an exclusive interview. "It seems to me like a young whippersnapper, having seen himself on a few covers, who's received a few awards, is now suddenly suffering from the first signs of hubris. I've been in the business for 50 years. I've seen people come and go and I'm still here."
Braeden went on to explain that his workload at Y&R has been doubled because he was away from the show for three weeks for hip surgery. Braeden explained that he's "exhausted" and that he was "not about to appear on a show for two lines, because that's what it amounted to."
As for any feud with Harris, Braeden laughed off the situation, saying he'd be willing to "let bygones be bygones."
Braeden first appeared on How I Met Your Mother two years ago as Robin's dad. According to a 2008 interview, Braeden didn't want to do the guest spot, but was strongarmed into it.
"I was talked into it by family and agents saying it was one of the highest-ranked shows and this and that," Braeden told TVGuide. "And I enjoyed it enormously."
CBS has not responded to requests for a statement.
