Riley Keough, the daughter of the late Lisa Marie Presley and granddaughter of Elvis and Priscilla Presley, has shared some profound yet straightforward advice from her mother regarding being a celebrity child. This advice has had a significant impact on her and her family.

Harsh Words with a Deeper Meaning

At just 35 years old, Riley Keough appeared on the Wednesday, December 11 episode of Podcrushed. There, she opened up to hosts Penn Badgley, Sophie Ansari, and Nava Kavelin about how her mother's words have stayed with her. "My mom was extremely passionate about this topic," the Under the Bridge actress explained. "She basically said, 'If you're going to do something, you better be exceptional. If you're just going to give it a half-hearted try, you'll become a joke to many. You have to be truly excellent or not even bother.' This statement carried a lot of weight and left a lasting impression on both Riley and her brother."

Dealing with the Pressure

Riley Keough admitted that she felt a great deal of pressure under her mother's words. "It was constantly in my head and my brother's as well," she added. "She was very clear that being a celebrity kid isn't enough. Whether it's acting, singing, or any other pursuit, you have to be on par with or better than everyone else. This mindset pushed us to work hard and prove ourselves."

Career Highlights and Challenges

Riley chose to pursue an acting career and has been extremely busy and successful. In the past few years, she has appeared in notable films such as 2015's Mad Max: Fury Road, 2016's American Honey, and 2020's Zola. Her role as the title character in Amazon Prime's Daisy Jones & The Six was a significant achievement. This fictitious series inspired by Fleetwood Mac allowed her to showcase her inherited vocal talent. Alongside her acting career, she also faced personal challenges. Her late brother Benjamin, who passed away in 2020 at the age of 27, held their mother's words close and worked hard.

Personal Life and Family

Outside of her career, Riley Keough married stuntman Ben Smith-Petersen in 2015. The couple met while filming Mad Max: Fury Road in 2012. In 2022, they welcomed their daughter, Tupelo Storm Smith-Petersen. Riley shared an interesting anecdote about choosing her daughter's name. "It's funny because we picked her name before the Elvis movie," she said in an August 2023 story for Vanity Fair. "I wanted a name that wasn't overly associated with our family, like Memphis. It was a special choice for us."