A Look at Riley Keough’s Movie career

Three weeks ago, I surfed the internet looking for information about Elvis’ first grandchild, who had just gotten married. I found very little about the marriage, but there was plenty about Riley Keough’s modelling career and her movie work.

According to AllMovie.com, Riley has appeared in five movies so far and has number six coming out in May – Mad Max: Fury Road. Let’s take a look at them in chronical order.

The Runaways – 2010:

Riley Keough already had a successful modelling career going when she got her break in the movies. In 2010, she appeared in a small part in The Runaways, a film about the groundbreaking 70s all-girl band. She played the Marie Currie, the sister of main character Cherie Currie (played by Dakota Fanning). Riley’s character had to stay home and take care of their sick dad while her sister went on the road to tour with the band.

Although Riley was twenty at the time of filming, she was very believable as a sixteen-year-old in the movie. She would play teenagers in her next two films.

The Good Doctor – 2011:

Riley graduated to a co-starring role in her next film. She was very credible as a sick teenager in The Good Doctor. Her condition required a soft-spoken, often frail-sounding dialogue, and she was easy to accept in the role.

The doctor turned out to be a real slimeball, and he eventually killed her. That’s not really a spoiler – you can see it coming a mile away. But, I won’t reveal if he gets away with it or not.

Jack & Diane: — 2011:

Riley also co-starred in her next film, and it was a bold leap into a radical role. See the dark haired person at the top of this picture. That’s Jack, a butch lesbian, played by Riley.

Here’s a better shot. Talk about transforming yourself to fit the role. I must admit, I enjoyed this movie the least of Riley’s movies, especially when it veers off into horror movie territory at the end.

Magic Mike – 2013:

Next, Riley took a supporting role in a big movie. She played a stripper in Magic Mike. I couldn’t find a clip from the film showing her, but here she is with the whole cast.

You can see that Riley is not playing a teenager in this movie. Scroll back, and see how different her characters look in the films.

Kiss of the Damned – 2013:

I’m not a real big fan of vampire movies. This one confused me with the concept of good vampires and bad vampires, but Riley was neither. She appeared near the end in a minor part as an innocent foil of an older female vampire.

Mad Max: Fury Road – Premiering in May 2015:

Riley must be thrilled to have sixth billing in this new installment of the Mad Max franchise. It is her first role in an action-adventure film. Hopefully the crazy special effects leave her some room to show her acting chops.

Riley plays one of the “five wives” that Charlize Theron’s character must transport across the desert.

That’s Riley right on the right. She’s changed her look again, this time as a redhead. Here’s another look, with Riley in the middle.

And one more look of Riley in a shot containing one of the less freaky-looking male characters.

The trailer for Mad Max: Fury Road sure makes it look like it will be a big film, a summer blockbuster. Riley’s role in her only other big movie, Magic Mike, was very brief and she didn’t stand out. This time could be different. A credible performance in a meaty role could move her up in the Hollywood hierarchy of female actors.

If not, Riley can always fall back on her ultra-successful modelling career. Either way, Elvis would be proud of what his granddaughter has achieved.

© 2015 Philip R Arnold, Original Elvis Blogmeister All Rights Reserved www.ElvisBlog.net

Elvis, Elvis Presley, and Graceland are registered trademarks of Elvis Presley Enterprises, Inc.