Christel Khalil has been playing The Young and the Restless‘ Lily for 24 years. Her performances have earned her fame, critical acclaim, and many awards, including a Daytime Emmy. But if Khalil had followed her initial decision, she might not have gotten her iconic role.
Key Takeaways
- Khalil began her career as a child actress.
- In 2002, she was cast as the new Lily Winters on Y&R.
- Before Y&R, Khalil contemplated giving up acting.
Don’t Give Up
Before becoming a soap star, Khalil was a child actress. Her first role came at the age of six on an episode of The Sinbad Show. Small roles in the film Matilda and shows such as Family Matters soon followed.
However, soon roles started to become slim, and Khalil considered quitting acting. In an interview with Soapy Podcast, the actress discussed why she almost gave up on showbiz.
“I was 14, and I had always, you know, auditioned for all these Disney projects. So, I auditioned for That’s So Raven, and it was called Absolutely Psychic because she was like this girl who had psychic ability,” Khalil recalled.
Unfortunately, Khalil lost the part to Raven-Symone, and the show was later named after her. The experience dimmed Khalil’s joy for acting, and she almost quit, until fate stepped in.
“I lost that part, and I was just so devastated. I was actually going to quit acting. And I then got the final call for The Young and the Restless,” she shared.
Although Y&R was a big opportunity for the actress, she thought about turning it down. But luckily, a pep talk from her brother changed her mind.
“My brother, who is seven years older than me, he quit acting at the same age that I was at the time. He was like, ‘Christel, I promise you, I actually, really regret quitting.’ He’s like, ‘Just go on this audition and if you don’t get it, you can quit,” the soap star spilled.
Luck On Her Side
Thankfully, Khalil followed her brother’s advice, and she was cast as the new Lily on Y&R. She made her debut in August 2002 and has been a vital part of the show ever since.
Throughout her two decades as Lily, Khalil gave riveting performances as Lily faced many heartaches. From discovering the truth about her paternity to Drucilla (Victoria Rowell) and Neil’s (Kristoff St. John) deaths to her cancer battle, Lily’s been put through the wringer. But just like her mother, Drucilla, Lily comes out of every challenge stronger than ever.
Currently, Lily’s on the road to reunion with her ex-husband Cane (Billy Flynn) after he saved Malcolm’s (Shemar Moore) life. The couple’s reunion isn’t going over so well with Lily’s brother Devon (Bryton James). However, Lily’s proven she’s her own woman.
Lily is going to be tested even further now that she’s back in control of Chancellor. With Billy (Jason Thompson) wanting the company back, he’s going to be a problem for Lily and Cane. But Lily’s shown she’s not the type to back down and will give Billy a fight if he wants one.
