Christel Khalil

Christel Khalil
Born	Christel Adnana Mina Khalil (1987-11-30) November 30, 1987 (age 37) Los Angeles, California
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1993–present
Known for	The Young and the Restless as Lily Winters (2002–present)
Spouse(s)	Stephen Hensley (m. 2008; div. 2011) Sam Restagno ​ (m. 2024)​
Children	2

Christel Adnana Mina Khalil (born November 30, 1987) is an American actress. She is best known for her role as Lily Winters in The Young and the Restless, which earned her a Daytime Emmy Award in 2012. She is also known for providing the voice of Cornelia Hale in the animated adaptation of W.I.T.C.H..

Background

Khalil was born in Los Angeles, California, to a mother of Native American, African American, and European descent and a Pakistani father.^[1][2][3] Khalil has stated she identifies as mixed race. She has three older brothers and a younger paternal half-sister.^[4] In January 2017, in the wake of President Donald Trump's signing of Executive Order 13769, Khalil revealed that her father is an immigrant from his native country of Pakistan.^[5]

Career

Khalil is best known for her portrayal as Lily Winters on the CBS soap opera The Young and the Restless. At the 39th Daytime Emmy Awards on June 23, 2012, she won the Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Younger Actress in a Drama Series after four nominations in the category.^[6] In August 2018, she announced her decision to downgrade from being on contract with the show and instead continue regularly.^[7] Khalil explained the decision was driven by her desire to have more freedom in both her professional and personal life.^[8] She continued to make sporadic appearances on the show until being approached by current head writer and co-executive producer Josh Griffith in January 2020, to return to filming regularly.^[9]

Khalil has had small roles in films such as Dragon Fury, Matilda, Interview With the Assassin and White Like the Moon. She voiced Cornelia Hale in W.I.T.C.H., and also appeared on That's So Raven and Malcolm in the Middle, among other shows. Khalil also performed in Los Angeles theater productions before landing her role on The Young and the Restless. In 2012, she was featured in musician Johnny Britt's music video for his single Beautiful Queen.^[10] In spring 2018, Khalil co-starred in the independent thriller, Good Deed, which premiered on the Lifetime network in November 2018 under the title Sorority Stalker.^[11] In spring 2019, she was cast in the independent comedy We Need To Talk by writer and director Todd Wolfe.^[12]

Personal life

In September 2008, she married musician Stephen Hensley.^[13] The Young and the Restless co-star Elizabeth Hendrickson served as a bridesmaid while Bryton James was a groomsman.^[14] Khalil gave birth to their son on April 17, 2010, during an at-home water birth.^[15][16] Bryton James is his godfather^[17] and actress Fadhia Marcelin is his godmother.^[18] She and Hensley split in early 2011 and divorced later that year.^[19] In 2015, Khalil stated she had been in a relationship with bar runner Ray Wicks for 4 years.^[20] Khalil ended the relationship in August 2015.^[21][22][23] In the summer of 2018, Khalil stated that she in a relationship with Canadian businessman Sam Restagno, who works in private equity.^[24] The two met in 2016, during that year Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in Indio, California.^[25] In 2019, Khalil and her son relocated to Toronto, Ontario to be with Restagno, who was born and based there.^[24][26][27] In July 2020, Khalil moved back to Los Angeles.^[28] In June 2023, she announced she was expecting her second child, her first with Restagno.^[29]

She is best friends with Bryton James, who portrays her character's brother, Devon Hamilton on The Young and the Restless.^[30][31] She is also friends with several former and current The Young and the Restless co-stars, including Mishael Morgan and Nadine Heimann.^[32] In October 2015, she modeled for Heimann's non-profit, True Connection.^[33][34]

In June 2015, after the United States Supreme Court's decision on Obergefell v. Hodges, she voiced her support for same-sex marriage.^[35] Khalil has said one of her favorite hobbies is traveling because she loves experiencing different cultures and travel makes her feel connected to who she is as a person.^[36]

Filmography

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1993	The Sinbad Show	Crystal	Episode: "My Daughter's Keeper"
1995	Dragon Fury	Little Girl	Film
1996	Matilda	Child in Classroom	Film
1996	The Jamie Foxx Show	Young Patrice Murphy	Episode: "The Bad Seed"
1996	Family Matters	Angela	Episode: "Karate Kids"
1997	You're Invited to Mary-Kate & Ashley's Christmas Party	Diana	Television film
1997	George & Leo	Kid #3	Episode: "The Halloween Show"
1998	Milo	Young Claire Mullins	Film
2002	Interview with the Assassin	Babysitter	Film
2002	White Like the Moon	Nita	Short film
2003–2004	That's So Raven	Crystal	2 episodes
2004–2006	W.I.T.C.H.	Cornelia Hale	Voice, main role (52 episodes)
2006	Malcolm in the Middle	Kristin Peterson	Episode: "Lois Strikes Back"
2002–2005 2006–	The Young and the Restless	Lily Winters	Contract role: August 15, 2002 – September 2, 2005, November 7, 2006 – present
2012	NCIS: Los Angeles	Young Woman	Episode: "Patriot Acts"
2012	2 Broke Girls	Flirty Girl	Episode: "And the Candy Manwich"
2017	Chronologia Human	Christel	Film
2017	Bedlam	Breanna Wilkinson	Short film
2018	Good Deed/Sorority Stalker	Lauren	Film
2020	We Need To Talk	Aly Fulton	Film

Awards and nominations

List of awards and nominations for Christel Khalil

Year	Award	Category	Work	Result	Ref.
2003	Young Artist Award	Best Performance in a TV Series (Comedy or Drama) – Leading Young Actress	The Young and the Restless	Nominated	[37]
2004	Young Artist Award	Best Performance in a TV Series (Comedy or Drama) – Leading Young Actress	The Young and the Restless	Nominated	[38]
2004	Daytime Emmy Award	Outstanding Younger Actress in a Drama Series	The Young and the Restless	Nominated	[39]
2005	Soap Opera Digest Award	Favorite Teen	The Young and the Restless	Nominated
2005	NAACP Image Award	Outstanding Actress in a Daytime Drama Series	The Young and the Restless	Nominated
2006	Daytime Emmy Award	Outstanding Younger Actress in a Drama Series	The Young and the Restless	Nominated	[40]
2006	NAACP Image Award	Outstanding Actress in a Daytime Drama Series	The Young and the Restless	Nominated
2007	NAACP Image Award	Outstanding Actress in a Daytime Drama Series	The Young and the Restless	Nominated
2008	NAACP Image Award	Outstanding Actress in a Daytime Drama Series	The Young and the Restless	Won
2009	NAACP Image Award	Outstanding Actress in a Daytime Drama Series	The Young and the Restless	Nominated
2010	Daytime Emmy Award	Outstanding Younger Actress in a Drama Series	The Young and the Restless	Nominated	[41]
2012	Daytime Emmy Award	Outstanding Younger Actress in a Drama Series	The Young and the Restless	Won	[42]
2012	NAACP Image Award	Outstanding Actress in a Daytime Drama Series	The Young and the Restless	Nominated
2014	NAACP Image Award	Outstanding Actress in a Daytime Drama Series	The Young and the Restless	Nominated
2016	Soap Awards France	Best Couple of the Year — "Lily and Cane" (shared with Daniel Goddard)	The Young and the Restless	Nominated	[43]
2020	Daytime Emmy Award	Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series	The Young and the Restless	Nominated	[44]

References

1. "Christel Khalil Playing Lily Winters Ashby on The Young and the Restless - Soaps.com". Soaps.sheknows.com. Archived from the original on June 22, 2015. Retrieved March 11, 2015..
2. "KEFSKI – Christel Khalil from The Young and the Restless,..." kefskiphoto.com.. April 25, 2014.
3. "Christel Khalil Entry On The Daily Multiracial". dailymultiracial.com.. April 24, 2012.
4. "Christel Khalil Answers Fan Questions". Soapoperadigest.com. August 8, 2018. Retrieved September 21, 2018.
5. Khalil, Christel (January 29, 2017). "All Three of Us Are The Daughters of Immigrants". Instagram.com. Archived from the original on December 24, 2021. Retrieved November 17, 2017.
6. "Daytime Emmy Awards 2012: Winners List". Hollywoodreporter.com. June 23, 2012. Retrieved February 12, 2019.
7. "Christel Khalil Announcement". Soapoperadigest.com. August 27, 2018. Retrieved August 15, 2019.
8. "Christel Khalil Guests on Soap Digest Podcast". Soapoperadigest.com. August 31, 2018. Retrieved August 15, 2019.
9. "Christel Khalil On Y&R Return". Soapoperadigest.com. April 27, 2020. Retrieved June 8, 2020.
10. Johnny Britt "Beautiful Queen" Official Music Video in HD. YouTube. January 19, 2012. Archived from the original on December 21, 2021.
11. Young, Candace (May 9, 2018). "Christel Khalil in Good Deed". soaps.sheknows.com. Retrieved December 21, 2019.
12. Fairman, Michael (May 29, 2019). "Christel Khalil Cast in Indie Film". Michaelfairmantv.com. Retrieved December 21, 2019.
13. "Christel Khalil Hensley Expecting First Child". People. June 15, 2011. Retrieved January 5, 2012.
14. Christel Khalil Wedding Photos. "With This Ring".CBS Soaps In Depth. December 8, 2008 pgs.62–67
15. "Christel Khalil Hensley Welcomes Son Michael Caden". People. December 27, 2009. Retrieved January 5, 2012.
16. Khalil, Christel (April 17, 2013). "Three Years Ago My Little Star Was Born At Home In a Birthing Tub". Instagram.com. Archived from the original on December 24, 2021. Retrieved December 26, 2015.
17. James, Bryton (November 21, 2015). "Caden I Am Your Godfather". Instagram.com. Archived from the original on December 24, 2021. Retrieved December 26, 2015.
18. Marcelin, Fadhia Carmelle (April 17, 2018). "This Special Guy Turns 8 Today". Instagram. Archived from the original on December 24, 2021. Retrieved May 2, 2018.
19. Christel Khalil Interview. "Out of the Fire" CBS Soaps In Depth. January 2, 2012 pgs. 60–63.
20. "Christel Khalil Answers Fan Questions in Soap Opera Digest". Soap Opera Digest. August 24, 2015.
21. Khalil, Christel (August 15, 2015). "Mad Wisdom on How To Break Up". Instagram. Archived from the original on December 24, 2021. Retrieved December 26, 2015.
22. Khalil, Christel (September 4, 2015). "What One Man Tore Down, Another Conquered". Instagram. Archived from the original on December 24, 2021. Retrieved December 26, 2015.
23. Khalil, Christel (September 5, 2015). "My Friend Spent The Night With Me Cause I Was Scared To Sleep Alone". Instagram.com. Archived from the original on December 24, 2021. Retrieved December 26, 2015.
24. "You Asked, She Answered: Christel Khalil Answers Your Burning Questions". Soapoperadigest.com. August 8, 2018. Retrieved February 12, 2019.
25. "ICYMI: Y&R's Christel Khalil Is Thrilled About Lily's Next Chapter". Soap Opera Digest. May 15, 2020. Retrieved November 11, 2021.
26. Christel's Big Move: Soap Ins & Outs. CBS Soaps In Depth. June 24, 2019 pg. 10
27. "Christel Khalil Talks Relocating To Canada". soapoperanews.com. October 10, 2019. Retrieved November 7, 2019.
28. "Christel Khalil Interview". Soapcentral.com. October 20, 2020. Retrieved October 24, 2020.
29. "Y&R's Christel Khalil Reveals Surprise Pregnancy". Soap Opera Digest. June 19, 2023. Retrieved June 20, 2023.
30. Khalil, Christel (August 17, 2015). "Happy Birthday to My Best Friend". Instagram.com. Archived from the original on December 24, 2021. Retrieved January 11, 2016.
31. James, Bryton (November 30, 2015). "Happy Birthday to the Best Sista a Person Could Ask For". Instagram.com. Archived from the original on December 24, 2021. Retrieved January 11, 2016.
32. Powers, Rebecca (November 30, 2015). "Detroitnews.com Interview with Nadine Heimann". Detroitnews.com. Retrieved January 11, 2016.
33. Khalil, Christel (October 20, 2015). "That's a Wrap. Thank You True Connection". Instagram.com. Archived from the original on December 24, 2021. Retrieved January 11, 2016.
34. "True Connection Apparel". True-Connection.org. Archived from the original on January 5, 2016. Retrieved December 26, 2015.
35. Khalil, Christel (June 26, 2015). "I Am Beyond Thrilled That Our Country Finally Recognizes Love Is Love". Instagram.com. Archived from the original on December 24, 2021. Retrieved November 17, 2017.
36. "Young and the Restless Star Christel Khalil Loves Travel". Globaltv.com. September 22, 2016. Archived from the original on September 4, 2017. Retrieved September 4, 2017.
37. "24th Annual Young Artist Awards". YoungArtistAwards.org. Archived from the original on December 4, 2016. Retrieved March 31, 2011.
38. "25th Annual Young Artist Awards". YoungArtistAwards.org. Archived from the original on August 2, 2011. Retrieved March 31, 2011.
39. "The 31st Annual Daytime Emmy Award Nominations" (PDF). New York: emmyonline.org and National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. March 4, 2004. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 29, 2013. Retrieved May 6, 2013.
40. "The 33rd Annual Daytime Entertainment Emmy Award Nominations". New York: emmyonline.org and National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. February 8, 2006. Archived from the original on May 19, 2013. Retrieved May 5, 2013.
41. "The 37th Annual Daytime Entertainment Emmy Award Nominations". New York: emmyonline.org and National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. May 12, 2010. Archived from the original on May 12, 2013. Retrieved May 5, 2013.
42. "Daytime Emmy Awards 2012: The Winners List". The Hollywood Reporter. new York City: Prometheus Global Media. June 23, 2012. Archived from the original on November 10, 2013. Retrieved December 31, 2012.
43. "Soap Awards France 2016 : Hélène Rollès, Les Mystères de l'amour, Rena Sofer, Plus belle la vie...le palmarès complet". France: toutelatele.com and Médiamétrie. May 2, 2016. Retrieved August 17, 2020.
44. "The 46th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards Nominations" (PDF). New York: emmyonline.org and National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. 2018. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 10, 2019. Retrieved March 21, 2018.

External links

• Christel Khalil at IMDb
• Christel Khalil Official Twitter on Twitter.com