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Riley Keough
Riley Keough Cannes 2016 (2).jpg
Keough at the 2016 Cannes Film Festival
Born
Danielle Riley Keough

(1989-05-29) May 29, 1989 (age 35)
Occupation Actress
Years active 2004–present
Spouse(s)
Ben Smith-Petersen
(m. 2015)
Children 1
Relatives

Danielle Riley Keough (/ˈk/ KEE-oh; born May 29, 1989) is an American actress. She made her feature film debut in a supporting part in the musical biopic The Runaways (2010), portraying Marie Currie. Keough subsequently starred in the independent thriller The Good Doctor (2011), before being cast in a minor role in Steven Soderbergh's comedy film Magic Mike (2012). She had her first big-budget release in the action feature Mad Max: Fury Road (2015).

..... Her performance as a wayward young woman in the drama American Honey (2016) earned her further acclaim, including an Independent Spirit Award nomination for Best Supporting Female. She went on to star in the horror film It Comes at Night (2017), Soderbergh's heist film Logan Lucky (2017), and had further horror film appearances in The House That Jack Built (2018) and The Lodge (2019). Following a leading role in the comedy-drama Zola (2020), Keough starred in the Amazon Prime Video thriller series The Terminal List (2022) and drama miniseries Daisy Jones & the Six (2023). The latter earned her nominations for another Golden Globe and a Primetime Emmy Award.

Keough is a co-founder of the production company Felix Culpa. She has co-directed the drama War Pony (2022), which won the Caméra d'Or. As granddaughter of Elvis Presley, she became the sole owner of his estate Graceland, following her mother Lisa Marie Presley's death in 2023.

Early life

Keough was born on May 29, 1989, at Providence Saint John's Health Center in Santa Monica, California. She is the eldest child of singer-songwriter Lisa Marie Presley and musician Danny Keough, and the eldest grandchild of Elvis Presley and actress and businesswoman Priscilla Presley. Keough's father met her mother while performing as a bass guitarist in her mother's band. ..... According to Keough, her father's ancestry is Irish and mostly Sephardic Jewish (Portuguese-Jewish) and Ashkenazi Jewish (Eastern European Jews), whereas her maternal grandfather, Elvis Presley, was allegedly of Creek, Cherokee, Scots-Irish and Norman descent; Keough's maternal grandmother, Priscilla, is of part Norwegian descent.

When Keough was six years old, her parents divorced, and her mother was briefly married to Michael Jackson from 1994 to 1996. Of her upbringing, Keough said that she "grew up very privileged with my mother, but my dad didn't live like that. And I think experiencing both sides has been helpful. My father had mattresses on the floor of his apartments. He lived in cabins and trailer parks. He just didn't have much money... Actually, my memories of growing up with him were so colourful and eccentric and fun. It was a good vibe, you know? When I was like eight I told him, 'I want to grow up and be poor like you!' He was eating a bowl of cereal. I didn't realise how wildly offensive that was!" Keough was raised primarily by her father in Hawaii and Los Angeles, though she at times lived at her mother's Los Angeles home, as well as at the Graceland Estate in Memphis, Tennessee, which was inherited by her mother following her grandfather Elvis's death. In 2002, when Keough was 13 years old, her mother married actor Nicolas Cage, though this marriage was also short-lived, ending two years later in divorce. For a time, Keough attended a public school in the San Fernando Valley, but was ultimately homeschooled due to her having to frequently travel between her parents' homes.

Career

2004–2008: Modeling

Prior to beginning a film career, Keough began modeling at age 15, appearing in the Autumn/Winter 2004 ready-to-wear show for Dolce & Gabbana, followed by the Christian Dior ready-to-wear show for the Spring/Summer 2005 collection. Keough subsequently appeared on the United States cover of Vogue in August 2004. She subsequently appeared on the cover of the Japanese Elle magazine and Korean Vogue, both in 2005, as well as the covers of the French magazines Jalouse and L'Officiel, also in 2005.

2009–2015: Film career beginnings

In 2010, at the age of 20, Keough made her film debut in The Runaways based on the 1970s all-girl rock band of the same name. Keough portrayed the role of Marie Currie, the sister to Cherie Currie, the band's lead singer, portrayed by Dakota Fanning. The film also starred Kristen Stewart and Tatum O'Neal and premiered in 2010 at the Sundance Film Festival to favorable reviews.

In April 2011, Keough starred as the female lead in the drama The Good Doctor alongside Orlando Bloom and Taraji P. Henson. Keough portrayed Diane Nixon, a young patient with a kidney infection who's kept ill to make her doctor gain the respect he craves. The film received mixed reviews from critics. In May 2010, she replaced actress Olivia Thirlby as the protagonist in the werewolf drama Jack & Diane alongside Juno Temple, who portrays her love interest. Filming took place in New York City, and in May 2011 Magnolia Pictures picked up the film for distribution; it was released theatrically in November 2012.

..... The film was released in June 2012. Keough also co-starred in the independent drama Yellow, alongside Sienna Miller, Luke Wilson and David Morse, followed by a supporting role opposite Milo Ventimiglia in the independent vampire film Kiss of the Damned, which premiered at the 2012 Venice Film Festival.

On August 4, 2013, the Australian fashion brand Bonds announced that Keough had been signed as "Summer 2013 ambassador". In October 2013, Keough co-starred in the video for Justin Timberlake's "TKO", portraying a bitter girlfriend who knocks out Timberlake and ties him to the back of a pick-up truck, dragging him through the desert and throwing him off a cliff.

Keough appeared in director So Yong Kim's short film Spark and Light commissioned by fashion brand Miu Miu in 2014. Keough had a supporting role in Mad Max: Fury Road, the fourth installment of the Mad Max series. The film was released in May 2015 to critical and commercial success and receiving numerous Academy Award nominations including Best Picture.

In February 2015, Keough married stuntman Ben Smith-Petersen in Napa, California, having announced their engagement the previous year. The couple had met while filming Mad Max: Fury Road. Later that year, in December 2015, Dixieland was released by IFC Films, in which Keough starred as a woman living in a Mississippi trailer park who becomes embroiled in a crime. The film had previously screened at the Tribeca Film Festival in April 2015.

2016–present: Breakthrough and subsequent roles

In January 2016, Keough's following film, the lesbian drama Lovesong, premiered at the Sundance Film Festival. Keough reunited with director So Yong Kim for the film, in which she co-starred with Jena Malone as two best friends who fall in love with each other. ..... The 13-episode series premiered on Starz on April 10, 2016. Her performance in The Girlfriend Experience garnered rave reviews and awards buzz from critics. She went on to receive a Golden Globe nomination for Best Performance by an Actress in a Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television.

Riley Keough 2017 Sundance Film Festival
Keough in 2017

Also in 2016, Keough appeared in Andrea Arnold's drama film American Honey, alongside Shia LaBeouf. The film premiered in competition at the 2016 Cannes Film Festival, where it won the Jury Prize. Keough received praise for her role in the film, and received a nomination at the Film Independent Spirit Awards for Best Supporting Female. The same year, she appeared in The Discovery directed by Charlie McDowell. It had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival on January 20, 2017, and was released on March 31, 2017, by Netflix. Her next film release was the drama We Don't Belong Here (2017), filmed in 2014, in which she starred as the daughter of a dysfunctional family alongside Catherine Keener and Anton Yelchin. Keough's subsequent film was It Comes at Night, an apocalyptic-themed horror film, in which she starred opposite Joel Edgerton and Christopher Abbott, and directed by Trey Edward Shults. The film was released theatrically in the United Kingdom and United States in the early summer of 2017.

In August 2017, it was announced that Keough had launched her own production company called Felix Culpa with producer Gina Gammell. The duo also announced plans to adapt three novels, including: Sweet Lamb of Heaven: A Novel, the graphic novel Heartthrob, and The Curse of Beauty: The Scandalous & Tragic Life of Audrey Munson, America's First Supermodel. That same month saw the release of Steven Soderbergh's heist comedy Logan Lucky, in which Keough portrayed Mellie Logan.

In 2018, Keough appeared in a number of films, including the independent drama-thriller Welcome the Stranger, followed by the Netflix-released thriller Hold the Dark, directed by Jeremy Saulnier, and the Barry Levinson-directed television film Paterno, a biographical film about Joe Paterno released through HBO in April 2018. In May 2018, Keough debuted two films at the 2018 Cannes Film Festival: Lars von Trier's controversial psychological horror film The House That Jack Built, which was subsequently given a limited release in the United States by IFC Films, and David Robert Mitchell's neo-noir Under the Silver Lake, which was given a limited release in April 2019.

Next, Keough starred in the lead role in the psychological horror film The Lodge (2019), portraying a woman raised in a cult. The film, which premiered at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival before being released theatrically in February 2020, garnered Keough praise, with Michael Roffman of Consequence of Sound deeming it a "career-best performance." Justin Chang of the Los Angeles Times also lauded her performance as the film's "strongest asset. [Keough] can seize and hold the screen with electrifying force." Keough subsequently had a lead role opposite Alicia Vikander in the thriller film Earthquake Bird, directed by Wash Westmoreland and based on the 2001 novel of the same name, which premiered at the British Film Institute in October 2019 before being released digitally via Netflix in mid-November 2019.

In early 2019, Keough was cast in the Netflix-produced psychological thriller The Devil All the Time, based on Donald Ray Pollock's 2011 novel of the same name. The project began filming in Alabama in the spring of that year, and premiered on Netflix in September 2020. On November 19, 2019, it was announced that Keough had joined the cast of the upcoming Amazon series Daisy Jones & the Six in a leading role, portraying a rock musician in the 1970s. She performed lead vocals on the album Aurora, the fictional album recorded by the band, which was released on March 1, 2023. In January 2020, the comedy-drama Zola, co-starring Keough as Stefani, premiered at the Sundance Film Festival.

In 2022, Keough co-directed and produced with Gina Gammell War Pony, which had its world premiere at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival in May 2022. It won the Caméra d'Or award for best first feature. Keough also produced the 2023 film Manodrome as part of her production company, Felix Culpa.

In January 2024, Keough revealed that she finished writing her mother Lisa Marie Presley's memoir, which was based on autobiographical audiotapes Presley recorded prior to her death. The memoir is set to be released on October 15, 2024, and will also feature Keough providing the narration for its audiobook version.

Personal life

Keough previously dated singer Ryan Cabrera and was engaged to her Magic Mike co-star, Alex Pettyfer.

In February 2015, Keough married Australian stuntman Ben Smith-Petersen in Napa, California, having announced their engagement the previous year. The couple had met while filming Mad Max: Fury Road. Their daughter, Tupelo, was born in August 2022 via surrogate.

Keough was raised in the Church of Scientology, but as of 2023 identifies as spiritual and not affiliated with any church. Her mother Lisa Marie Presley died from cardiac arrest and complications from a bariatric surgery on January 12, 2023, at age 54. At her memorial service, Smith-Petersen delivered a speech written by Keough on her behalf.

According to the BBC & The Guardian on 21 May 2024, Riley is in a legal battle with Naussany Investments & Private Lending (about which little is known) regarding the potential auction of Graceland. Naussany claims Lisa Marie Presley owed them $3.8 million and used Graceland as collateral. Keough alleges the loan documents are forged and attempts to sell Graceland are fraudulent. A Tennessee judge has so far delayed the auction of Graceland, and the attempt to sell the property has been withdrawn.

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Notes Ref.
2010 The Runaways Currie, MarieMarie Currie
2011 The Good Doctor Nixon , Diane Diane Nixon
Jack & Diane Jack
2012 Magic Mike Nora
Yellow Young Amanda
Kiss of the Damned Anne
2015 Mad Max: Fury Road Capable
Dixieland Rachel
2016 Lovesong Sarah
American Honey Krystal
2017 The Discovery Lacey
We Don't Belong Here Green, ElisaElisa Green
It Comes at Night Kim
Logan Lucky Logan, MellieMellie Logan
2018 Welcome the Stranger Misty Also producer
The House That Jack Built Jacqueline "Simple"
Under the Silver Lake Sarah
Hold the Dark Sloane, MedoraMedora Sloane
2019 The Lodge Marshall, GraceGrace Marshall
Earthquake Bird Bridges, LilyLily Bridges
2020 Zola Stefani
The Devil All the Time Sandy Henderson
2021 The Guilty Emily Lighton (voice)
2022 War Pony Co-director, co-writer and producer
2024 Sasquatch Sunset Female Sasquatch Also executive producer
TBA Untitled Noah Baumbach film TBA Filming

Television

Year Title Role Notes Ref.
2016 Girlfriend Experience, TheThe Girlfriend Experience Reade, ChristineChristine Reade Main role (season 1)
2018 Riverdale Lake, LaurieLaurie Lake Episode: "Chapter Forty-Two: The Man in Black"
Paterno Sara Ganim Television film
2021 Calls Rose (voice) Episode: "The Beginning"
2022 The Terminal List Lauren Reece Main role
2023 Daisy Jones & the Six Jones, DaisyDaisy Jones Miniseries
2024 Under the Bridge Rebecca Godfrey Also executive producer

Music videos

Year Title Artist Role Ref.
2013 "TKO" Timberlake, JustinJustin Timberlake Girlfriend
2022 "Hexie Mountains" Peck, OrvilleOrville Peck

Accolades

Year Nominated work Association Category Result Ref.
2012
The Good Doctor
Milano Film Festival Best Supporting Actress Nominated
2017
The Girlfriend Experience
Golden Globe Awards Best Actress – Miniseries or Television Film Nominated
Gracie Awards Actress in a Leading Role – Made for TV Movie or Limited Series Won
American Honey
Independent Spirit Awards Best Supporting Female Nominated
London Critics Circle Film Awards Supporting Actress of the Year Nominated
Village Voice Film Poll Best Supporting Actress 9th place
2021
Zola
Chicago Film Critics Association Best Supporting Actress Nominated
2022
War Pony
Cannes Film Festival Un Certain Regard Award Nominated
Caméra d'Or Won
2023
Daisy Jones & the Six
MTV Movie & TV Awards Best Performance in a Show Nominated
Best Kiss (with Sam Claflin) Nominated
Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Lead Actress In A Limited Or Anthology Series Or Movie Nominated
2024 Golden Globe Awards Best Actress – Miniseries or Television Film Nominated

See also

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