Neil Winters | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The Young and the Restless character | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Portrayed by | Kristoff St. John | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Duration | 1991–2019 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
First appearance | February 14, 1991 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Last appearance | February 6, 2019 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Classification | Past; regular | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Introduced by | William J. Bell | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Neil Winters is a fictional character from The Young and the Restless, an American soap opera on the CBS network. Created and introduced by William J. Bell, the role was portrayed by Kristoff St. John from 1991 until St. John's death in 2019.[2] As of 2019, Neil is the longest-running African American character to appear on the series. St. John last appeared as Neil on February 6, 2019.[3]
Over the years, Neil's storylines have involved his marriages to Drucilla Winters (Victoria Rowell), as well as his volatile relationship with his half-brother Malcolm Winters (Shemar Moore). Neil's daughter, Lily Winters (Christel Khalil), was involved in a paternity storyline, with Neil and Malcolm as her potential fathers. In 1994, Bill Bell had Malcolm walk into Drucilla's bedroom after she had taken prescription drugs. Fully understanding the drugs she had taken caused her to believe him to be her husband, Malcolm chose to take advantage of the situation leaving Dru pregnant. While both her and Malcolm were unsure of the baby's paternity, Neil believed he was the father. Bell chose not to follow up on this plot point, leaving it unresolved until 2005 when then-Executive Producer, John F. Smith, revealed Malcolm as the father. Neil and Drucilla have shared two marriages and adopted a son, Devon Hamilton (Bryton James). Since Drucilla's presumed death in 2007, Neil has had numerous other romances, including Karen Taylor (Nia Peeples), Sofia Dupre (Julia Pace Mitchell), Leslie Michaelson (Angell Conwell), and Hilary Curtis (Mishael Morgan). St. John's portrayal of Neil has garnered a positive response over the years, awarding him two Daytime Emmy Awards and eight NAACP Image Awards.