Exclusive: Eric Braeden on Neil Patrick Harris calling him a 'D-bag' on Twitter

Image Credit: Emiley Schweich/PR Photos; Albert L. Ortega/PR PhotosEric Braeden to Neil Patrick Harris: You don’t know who you’re dealing with, young whippersnapper! After the star of How I Met Your Mother posted a message via his Twitter account calling the The Young and the Restless actor a “D-bag” for failing to make good on a promise to reprise his role as Robin’s dad on the CBS comedy, Braeden talked exclusively to EW about the comment and what prompted him to skip Thursday’s taping.

“I really don’t know who that fellow is. He’s a guy who stars in that series,” Braeden told EW, laughing. “It’s very unfortunate. First of all, I came back from hip surgery. I was off for three weeks. I’ve doubled my work, 30 to 50 pages a day for me, alone. Everyone knows that I’m exhausted. I was not about to appear on a show for two lines, because that’s what it amounted to.”

On his Twitter feed, Harris said, “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.” The reason for his so-called bailing? Braeden said he only learned about the size of his part the day before the taping, which he considered unreasonable. (He believes he should have been given the scripts weeks in advance).

Braeden originally agreed to take the gig because he enjoyed his first appearance on the CBS comedy in November 2008. “I truly enjoyed working there last time,” Braeden said. “The cast and crew and producers couldn’t have been nicer.”

As for Harris, “His choice of words bothered me,” Braeden added. “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 ultimately laughed off the whole situation. “If he is a worthy adversary, he’d better not cross my path. I will let bygones be bygones.”

It looks like Harris feels the same way. Three hours after his initial Twitter post, he added this comment: “Now I feel bad for the D-bag comment. Don’t know the guy personally. I’m just fiercely protective of our show.” Harris also said via Twitter that the role was re-cast with Ray Wise, “a fantastic actor who makes any part ‘substantial’. Super excited to welcome him to the family.”

Braeden will appear on CBS’ The Talk on Jan. 14.