Who plays Lily on The Young and the Restless? A closer look at her character and storyline

The Young and the Restless, Y&R, a long-running soap on CBS, is set in the fictional town of Genoa City, based on the real-life location in Wisconsin. 

Over the years, the CBS show has introduced new families and complex relationships. Originally, the show focused on the wealthy Brooks family and the working-class Foster family. On The Young and the Restless, Lily Winters is portrayed by Christel Khalil.

In the early 1980s, the story turned differently when numerous casting changes happened. The perspective changed following the soap's focus on the Abbotts, the Williamses, and other families like the Newman and Barber/Winters families.

Know more about the actress behind Lily and her role on The Young and the Restless

Christel Khalil plays Lily Winters. Since 2002, when the character was a teenager, Khalil has taken up the role. She gradually transitioned from playing a rebellious teenager to a businesswoman and mother. However, she briefly left in 2005, and Davetta Sherwood came in her place. Later, Khalil returned the following year and earned the focus in the series since then.

Lily was a rebellious teenager who became a sophisticated woman. Her position on the show is defined by her emotional ups and downs as the daughter of Drucilla Winters and Neil Winters (later revealed to be Malcolm Winters). Lily had to deal with her complicated relationships with her parents, brothers Devon and Moses, and children Charlie and Mattie.
Winters struggled with rebellion in her early years on the show, getting into problems with her Paris friends, where her mother, Drucilla, hoped Neil would reprimand her. Her life changed when she was victimized by online predator Kevin Fisher, which had lasting emotional effects. This caused a complex relationship with Daniel Romalotti, which began passionately but terminated owing to Daniel's addiction.

Lily's story turns serious as she gets older. Her work and love life became more connected. Lily found comfort in her relationship with Cane Ashby after the death of her mother and her father's battle with alcoholism. Their love story faced betrayals, a miscarriage, and Cane's secrets. Lily was diagnosed with ovarian cancer.

She and Cane decided to have a baby with the help of a surrogate, even though she was sick. Lily was a fan favorite because she was able to beat cancer, co-parent her kids, and handle difficult relationships, especially when she was married to Cane.
Lily's relationships with other characters, like with Billy Abbott, her complicated feelings toward Cane, and her eventual peace with her family, have shown changes in her character over the years. 

Christel Khalil: The face behind the character

Christel Adnana Mina Khalil, born November 30, 1987, is an American actress best known for portraying Lily Winters on The Young and the Restless. Khalil was the voice of Cornelia Hale in the animated show W.I.T.C.H. and had parts in shows like That's So Raven and Malcolm in the Middle. She has also appeared in movies such as Matilda and Dragon Fury. Khalil has acted in theater, music videos, in addition to her work in movies and TV shows. 

The Young and the Restless episodes are available to stream on CBS.