Riley Keough Coming to ‘Riverdale’ Is Proof Dreams Do Come True

One eternal truth is that you don’t dress for the job you have, you dress for the job you want. Another, more modern one is that you tweet for the job you want, not the one you have. And in case you needed proof this axiom is true, actress Riley Keough put it out into the universe that she wanted to be on The CW’s Riverdale… And now, this week, she’ll be guest starring on the show!

She’ll turn up on “Chapter Forty-Two: The Man in Black” as Laurie Lake, a woman Archie (KJ Apa) and Jughead (Cole Sprouse) meet while on the run outside of Riverdale. She’s not only shacked up at a farm with them (though not The Farm, the weird cult that’s popped up a few times this season), she seems to be getting into a bit of a, uh, close shave with the recently single Archie Andrews.

Still, given Riverdale fans online have been referring to her as the “Attractive Older Farm Lady,” it’s possible they may not be familiar with Keough’s filmography. The good news is, she’s perfect for Riverdale.

Keough (full name Danielle Riley Keough) is the daughter of Lisa Marie Presley, which makes her the granddaughter of Elvis Presley (yep, that’s how genetics work). She got her big break starring in The Runaways with Kristen Stewart and Dakota Fanning in 2010. But it was her collaboration with Steven Soderbergh on 2011’s Magic Mike that really cemented her career. In 2016, she re-teamed with the multi-hyphenate for the excellent Starz drama The Girlfriend Experience, which got her a Golden Globe nomination. They later teamed up again in 2017 for Logan Lucky (which is also a lot of fun).

But arguably the most crucial, important moment in her career happened on March 6, 2018. At 2:39pm E.T., Keough tweeted the following:

“I just want to be cast in Riverdale,” Keough said. Simple. Direct. To the point. Several months later, it was announced that — get this — Keough was cast on Riverdale. Cue up Hillary Duff singing “What Dreams Are Made Of” from The Lizzie McGuire Movie.

If you didn’t pause in the middle of this article to watch all of Keough’s movies, I’ll briefly explain why she’s great for Riverdale. First of all, she’s an incredibly talented actress with multiple awards who has worked non-stop for the past decade. If anything, that makes her overqualified for Riverdale, but we’ll take it. Second, Keough is often understated in her performances, something that will contrast nicely with the show’s usual mode of over-the-top insanity. But underneath her simple, stoic delivery there’s always something deeper and darker lurking behind her eyes… She’s perfect for the soap operatics of The CW’s teen drama, as a Keough performance always implies shifting loyalties and murky motivations.

Plus, casting her as Attractive Older Farm Lady (mind you, Keough is 29 to Apa’s 21 so she’s not that old, ya teens) means she can pop in and out of the show whenever she likes, while not creating further questions why, in a small town like Riverdale, she was one and done. Assuming she survives, of course; never a given with this show.

By the way, I would also like to be cast on Riverdale. Thanks.

Riverdale airs Wednesdays at 8/7c on The CW.

Where to stream Riverdale