Riley Keough wanted a career in the entertainment industry since she was a child. "At [age] nine, 10, 11, I was making movies all day," she told InStyle in 2021. She intended to pursue acting as an adult even though she felt a little intimidated. "I also had this thing where, when you grow up in L.A. and everyone's acting, I felt this sense of, oh gosh ... I was a little bit afraid to fail." As she sought out roles, Keough stuck with her father's lesser-known name instead of using Presley. Even so, it was well known that she was related to an iconic rock 'n roll dynasty. "Amazing opportunities! I walked into agencies, met with agents," she acknowledged to The Guardian. Despite this ease of connection, she felt there was a significant downside, noting, "I felt that I wouldn't be taken seriously."

When Keough earned her first role in the 2010 film "The Runaways," she opted to use Riley Keough as her stage name, dropping Danielle. Despite her musical heritage, Keough played the sister of one of "The Runaway's" bandmates. "I think it's good I didn't play a musician because then it wouldn't look like it was a coincidence," the actor explained to Women's Wear Daily at the time. When she was later cast in the Amazon series "Daisy Jones and the Six," a combo of voice lessons and intense practice with her castmates helped Keough carry on her family's musical legacy.