Crystal Chappell, who was born on August 4, 1965 in Silver Spring, Maryland, was educated at University of Maryland Baltimore County. She was very active in drama, and later moved on to pursue an acting career. She first appeared on the daytime soap opera All My Children in 1989, saying that actor Maurice Bernard helped her through her first scenes.
After a short acting stint in the series Santa Barbara, Crystal Chappell was given the role of Dr. Carly Manning on the soap Days of Our Lives. She began portraying the character in 1990, ending her gig in October 1993. She later won a Soap Opera Digest Award as Hottest Female Star for her work on Days of Our Lives. On the set, she met her future husband Michael Sabatino. The two married in 1997 and have two children, Jacob Walker and Dylan Michael. Chappell left the series eventually, due to differences with head writer James E. Reilly. In 1995, the actress landed the part of Maggie Carpenter on One Life to Live. The character was created especially for her, and was paired with the lead Max Holden, played by James dePaiva. When her character was written out, Chappell accepted a part in the CBS soap opera Guiding Light in 1999. Her portrayal of Olivia Spencer earned her a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Daytime Drama in 2002. She was later nominated for the same category in 2005 and 2006. The next year, she received a nomination in the Outstanding Lead Actress category. Chappell has also made appearances in prime time shows like Walker, Texas Ranger and Silk Stalkings. She has been seen on episodes of Pensacola: Wings of Gold, Poltergeist: The Legacy, Burke’s Law and Diagnosis Murder.
Crystal Chappell appeared on the June 2003 cover of Pregnancy, a 2001cover of Woman’s World, and the May 2001cover of Brooklyn Parent. Having studied gymnastics as a child, the actress has practiced yoga and meditation as well.
(Photo courtesy of CBS.com)