Lily Winters is a fictional character The Young and the Restless, an American soap opera on the CBS network. Created by William J. Bell, the character appeared as a child for her first five-year period. In 2002, Christel Khalil began portraying Lily as a teenager after the character rapidly aged. In 2005, Khalil left the series, resulting in the character's recasting with Davetta Sherwood; however, Sherwood's portrayal was brief when Khalil was asked to return the following year. Khalil began playing the character as a "rebellious, yet naive teenager", later becoming one of the soap opera's heroines.
Winters is the daughter of supermodel-turned-executive Drucilla Winters (Victoria Rowell) born in the midst of a questioned paternity storyline, with Neil Winters (Kristoff St. John) believing he was her father. Eleven years later, the storyline was readdressed with the revelation that Malcolm Winters (Shemar Moore) is her biological father. Lily later began a relationship with Daniel Romalotti (Michael Graziadei), a romance inspired by Romeo and Juliet. The couple were popular with viewers, who were saddened at their separation (because of Daniel's addiction to pornography).
Lily was later paired with leading character Cane Ashby (Daniel Goddard), a romance that has attracted significant fan attention. In 2009, the pair were married just before Lily was diagnosed with ovarian cancer, a storyline praised by viewers and critics. Lily and Cane had two children: Charlie and Mattie Ashby, born in 2010. The following year the couple divorced (after Cane faked his death and kept secrets from Lily), but reunited and were remarried in 2012. Khalil has received critical acclaim for her portrayal, which has garnered her an NAACP Image and Daytime Emmy Award. Critics have described her as having evolved from a "teen star" into a "leading lady".
Casting Winters was first portrayed as a child by Vanessa Carson in 1996, followed by Brooke Marie Bridges from 1998 to 2000. In August 2002, Khalil was cast in the role as a teenager at age 14. Lily was the first soap-opera role for which she auditioned. After screen tests with co-star Kristoff St. John and casting director Marnie Saitta, Khalil was given the part. In 2005 (after portraying the character for three years), Khalil left the series, citing stress as the reason for her departure. The producers tried unsuccessfully to convince Khalil to stay, and recast her role with Sherwood. Sherwood said that while the character Lily was the same, she and Khalil were not the same actress so it would be "a little different". Although she replaced a popular actress, Sherwood said she felt no anxiety over the recasting because Khalil chose to leave the part.
After leaving the series, Khalil and the producers began discussing her possible return. In 2006, she agreed to come back, and Sherwood was released from her contract. Former executive producer and head writer Lynn Marie Latham said she was happy with the casting change; she was impressed by Khalil's work, saying that she is a "brilliant actress". Latham noted that Sherwood did a "fine job" as the character, but "shows generally prefer to have original players back when they can get them". On her MySpace blog, Sherwood said she felt negativity from others on the set of the soap opera before her replacement; she was not told the reason for her firing, which she thought neither right nor fair. Khalil stated in 2007 that her return was a difficult decision to make, but was "the best decision ever".
On August 21, 2012, The Young and the Restless put out a casting call for the role of "Sally Tate", and the character description lead to speculation that it was a recast for Lily Winters and Khalil was exiting the soap. On August 22, Khalil's official website confirmed that she was leaving the show due to a contract dispute and her contract was set to expire in late-September.. On August 23, 2012, Khalil gave an interview to MSN Entertainment in which she expressed her desire to remain on the show. Saying that she hoped she and the show could eventually come to a mutual agreement. Michaelfairmansoaps.com. Retrieved January 18, 2016
Upon learning of her impending exit, fans of Khalil began a letter write-in, snail mail, e-mail and phone call campaign in support of her remaining on the show. August 28, 2012. Retrieved January 5, 2016. Fan outcry led producers to rethink recasting the role with newly appointed executive producer Jill Farren Phelps later saying that negotiations with Khalil had resumed and she "didn't yet know" how that would work out. On September 6, 2012, a plane carrying a banner stating "Y&R Fans Want Christel Khalil as Lily Ashby" was flown over CBS Television City in support of Khalil. Retrieved January 5, 2016. Fans did a similar campaign in spring 2011 when Khalil's co-star Daniel Goddard was let go from the soap.Youtube.com Retrieved March 31, 2016. In late September, newly appointed head writer Josh Griffith confirmed in an interview with TV Guide that contract negotiations had been resolved and Khalil would remain in the role. On August 27, 2018, Khalil announced her decision to drop to recurring status. As of August 2020, Khalil was once again listed as a series regular.
Development Characterization In 2002, when Lily was rapidly aged to a teenager, the character was designed as an "angst-ridden" heroine who struggled with "trauma"; she was also described as strong, rebellious, and sassy. Khalil said that Lily "doesn't take anybody's crap" and "she's her own person". Sherwood was said to have brought a "fire" to the role, and was told to use it only when necessary. She described Lily as "a lot like her mother": "It makes sense. She spent a lot of time with her mother growing up and she's seen how her mother reacts to certain situations when there is a problem or a dilemma." When Khalil returned to the role she felt that Lily had changed "a great deal" since she last played her; she was more immature and although it was more fun, it was "definitely different".
In 2009, Soap Opera Digest said that Khalil and Lily had evolved from a "teen star" into a "leading lady". Khalil described her happiness with her character's evolution, with more adult storylines and having to "deal with things like losing a baby or breaking off her engagement [to Cane]". During her marital problems with Cane, Khalil described Lily as a "doormat" and "hopeless romantic", saying that her "daddy issues" were part of that.
Relationships
One of Lily's first storylines centered around her manipulation by internet predator Kevin Fisher (Greg Rikaart), who gives her the sexually transmitted disease chlamydia. Khalil taped public service announcements related to the story, and considered the plot one of her favorites: "How many soaps have really covered that? The meeting on the Internet, getting an STD, it was really great stuff." Lily was next involved in a Romeo and Juliet-inspired romance (attracting a significant fan following) with Daniel Romalotti (Michael Graziadei), Kevin's friend. Lily was said to have brought out a new side to Daniel's character, "taming" him. When Khalil left the show, former head writer John F. Smith promised the character's recast would "bring an entirely new level" to Lily and Daniel's romance. They fell in love and were married; the pair's popularity continued with Sherwood in the role.
Sherwood gave Lily more feistiness, although the character was never written as timid. Sherwood's interpretation drew comparisons to Lily's mother, Drucilla; that "fire" was brought into Daniel and Lily's relationship. Sherwood said that "Dru can be a little dramatic", and when Lily faces an issue with Daniel "she's not going to remain calm, she's going to do what she saw her mother do". The actress praised the pair's storyline for not focusing on the different races of the characters. Khalil was surprised by the advancement of Lily and Daniel's storyline when she returned, particularly the characters' marriage. The plot ended with a social issue: Daniel's addiction to pornography. Graziadei said, "My initial conflict was that Daniel has had so many problems with his wife that I couldn't figure out why he'd be doing this", and was concerned that Daniel might be seen as "lecherous and creepy". The pair tried to work through Daniel's addiction, but it ended their marriage.
Lily was later written into a romance with Cane Ashby (Daniel Goddard) intertwined with a modeling career. The couple was designed as star-crossed true loves, and the relationship was said to add further growth to Lily's character. Khalil said that Lily had been in "kind of an immature relationship" and she thought being with a "real man" would make Lily grow up and "start thinking about her life and situation in a different way" and "would change Lily for the better". Goddard compared the romance to Lady Chatterley's Lover, as both characters grew and learned from the relationship. Storylines for the lovers included the characters' age gap, a miscarriage and a love rectangle with Chloe Mitchell (Elizabeth Hendrickson) and Billy Abbott (Billy Miller). In the love-rectangle story, Chloe deceives Cane into thinking they conceived a child. Goddard said he liked the storyline because of its originality. Love triangles and questioned paternity occur frequently in soap operas, but he felt that Maria Arena Bell made the plots fresh. Khalil said that she "loved" the storyline and the actors in it; she thought it "was a possibility" for Lily and Cane to have a happy ending, and Lily "can see the hope, and they can adapt and love each other in a more mature and honest way". In 2009, the pair were married. For their wedding, Lily wore the dress her mother Drucilla (Victoria Rowell) wore at her 1995 wedding to Neil. Rowell's dress was altered, at Khalil's request; she said it was an "old-fashioned, a typical '90s-style gown", and she "didn't really like it". Khalil spoke with Bell and the head of the wardrobe department about updating the dress. Bell agreed; there were "little details" about the original dress she wanted to keep, and it became "a really beautiful dress".
In 2010, Global BC said Lily was the love of Cane's life. The following year, she divorced him after his continued lies about his faked death. However, she eventually discovered that Cane was trying to protect her and they remarried. Khalil said that she never lost faith in the pair reuniting, since their romance is "so popular": "No matter what happens, they'll always get through it." Goddard noted that their relationship "had come full circle" and "was being done well". About Cane and Lily's second wedding, Goddard said that Cane and Lily have "certainly had a lot of ups and downs" but he thought their fans "stayed true and they have expressed their desire for what they want to see". He thought a wedding of "this caliber" would make their fans "very, very happy and that is what this is about".
Paternity and cancer
Lily was born into a paternity storyline, with brothers Neil or Malcolm Winters her father. Her mother, Drucilla, had been dating Neil but, was raped by Malcolm (who knew full well that she thought he was Neil while she was groggy from medication). The storyline continued unresolved for several years, with Neil believing he was Lily's father. In 2006, former co-head writer Jack Smith decided to resolve Lily's paternity by revealing that Malcolm was her father. About the storyline, Smith said: