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Riley is Elvis Presley’s oldest granddaughter. Rather than staying in the shadow of her lineage, the Daisy Jones and the Six actress has proved her mettle in the television and film industry. She began her career with modeling and went on to conquer haute couture runways at fashion weeks around Europe and the U.S. Her initial pay was $20,000 per fashion show, and along with that, she also appeared on fashion covers of elite magazines. Getting back to the roots, Keough starred in numerous music videos collaborating with top artists like Justin Timberlake. Her big break came with appearing in Hollywood blockbusters like Logan Lucky and Mad Max: Fury Road, earning an estimated $5 million net worth. She turned entrepreneur by launching the production house Felix Culpa. Let us take a look at her rising career and sources of income.
Riley is one of the heirs to Presley's legendary Graceland estate, valued at $400 million to $500 million after her mother's death, Lisa Marie Presley. The historic estate's annual turnover is approximately $10 million through visitors.
From Walking The Runway To Entering Hollywood
Riley is the daughter of the late singer Lisa Marie Presley and musician Danny Keough. The future heir of the Graceland estate also shared by the King of Pop, Michael Jackson, and actor Nicholas Cage as stepfathers’ respectively. At the same time, her mother was married to these two legendary artists in her lifetime. It was apparent that Riley would choose music as her career launchpad, but soon the fashion runway came calling. According to The Things, Dolce & Gabbana’s Autumn/Winter ready-to-wear show was the entry point into the fashion industry at fifteen. After earning approximately $20,000 for each runway show, Keough established herself as a young fashion icon after quitting school.
According to SCMP, the seventh art beckoned, and she debuted in Hollywood with The Runaways (2010), a coming-of-age musical drama starring Kristen Stewart and Dakota Fanning. The film made a mere $4.6 million at the global box office with a $10.6 million budget. It did not stop the young Presley from exploring more options in A-lister films, crediting multiple Academy award nominee Nicole Kidman as her inspiration. Riley continued to appear in the $165 million milestone film Magic Mike (2011) and Mad Max: Fury Road (2015), which shook the global box office collection with an estimated $300 million.
How Riley Earned A Golden Globe Nomination
The television industry was expanding with experimental shows. Riley debuted in 2016 in a lead role for the Starz drama The Girlfriend Experience, earning her a Golden Globe nomination for Best Performance by an Actress in a Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television. Proving to be unstoppable, the young musician appeared in The Act (2019), an anthology series that earned her an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series or Movie. But the latest Amazon musical drama showcases her musical lineage in a memorable light, starring as the lead in Daisy Jones & the Six Keough has paid subtle tributes to the Presley family tree throughout the series. According to Vanity Fair, Riley performed in her actual voice for the series after going through tough vocal training. Within 24 hours of airing, the musical drama series broke all records by taking the No. 1 spot on Amazon Prime Video’s Top 10 list in the U.S. The show’s coinciding debut album Aurora made it to No. 1 in the U.S. on iTunes. The album's vinyl version also nabbed the No. 1 slot on Amazon.
She also earns through lucrative music video appearances and collaborations. The talented 33-year-old made her first music video appearance in Justin Timberlake’s TKO, where she played an aggrieved girlfriend. And recently, she starred in country crooner Orville Peck’s Hexie Mountains, portraying a young woman tormented by escapism.
A $500 Million Addition To Her $5 Million Net Worth
Riley’s current net worth through acting is an estimated $5 million, and she is all set to inherit the famed Graceland estate valued at $500 million. Acting and modeling are not the only ways to release her creative instincts. In 2017, the Zola actress partnered with her long-time producer friend Ginna Gammell and launched the production company Felix Culpa. The production company has so far taken up center stage in adapting the literary works Sweet Lamb of Heaven: A Novel, Heartthrob, and The Curse of Beauty: The Scandalous & Tragic Life of Audrey Munson, America’s First Supermodel onto the big screen. Turning the profitable venture towards directing, Keough debuted as director for the 2022 drama War Pony, which she also co-wrote and produced with Ginna Gammell.
According to Screen Daily, War Pony premiered at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival on May 21, 2022, and earned rave reviews from critics. The film won the Caméra d'Or award for best debut feature gaining commercial success with UK, Ireland, and France distribution rights. Keough keeps herself busy with high-value fashion shoots and commercials, and she is also the brand ambassador for luxe house Dior, earning her millions annually.
Riley Keough hasn't limited her creative abilities to music alone. She is carving a dynamic career path in all directions apart from her Presley name-tag legacy.
Sources: The Things, SCMP, Vanity Fair, Screen Daily