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How Riley Keough Is Celebrating Her First Emmy Nomination With Husband Ben Smith-Petersen

After Riley Keough received her first-ever Emmy nomination for Daisy Jones & The Six, the actress spoke to E! News about the milestone, which she's sharing with her husband Ben Smith-Petersen.

By Jess Cohen Jul 12, 2023 9:03 PMTags
Watch: Riley Keough & Sam Claflin Talk Daisy Jones & The Six Fashion Inspo

Look at Riley Keough now.

The Daisy Jones & The Six star is feeling the love after scoring her first-ever nomination at the 2023 Emmys on July 12. "I'm surprised, I'm feeling really grateful," she exclusively told E! News of the recognition, "and just blessed and honored."

Riley–who portrays the titular character in the Prime Video series about the rise and fall of a fictional band—is nominated in the Outstanding Lead Actress In A Limited Or Anthology Series Or Movie category alongside Lizzy Caplan, Jessica Chastain, Dominique FishbackKathryn Hahn and Ali Wong.

And although she didn't watch the nominations live—"I got busy, I put my phone down, I was with my family and I kind of lost track of time"—she knew something was up when her phone started buzzing from the other room.

"I figured I was nominated," she said with a laugh, "and they weren't all calling to tell me I wasn't nominated."

Another Daisy Jones star who's celebrating today? Riley's husband Ben Smith-Petersen, who has a hilariously intimate scene with his wife on-screen.

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Daisy Jones and The Six: What to Watch Next

"In my eyes he's the real Emmy winner," Riley, who recently welcomed a baby girl with Ben, told E!. "It's super special, it's not every day you get to work with your husband, it was a very fun experience."

Kayla Oaddams/WireImage

After a few years of high highs and low lows for Riley, including the death of her mom Lisa Marie Presley in January and the 2020 passing of brother Benjamin, she continues to persevere. (The July 12 Emmy nominations coincided with the third anniversary of Benjamin's death.)

"I'm with my family today," she shared, "it's my husband's birthday today so I'll spend it at home with my family."

Lacey Terrell/Prime Video

In total, Daisy Jones & The Six scored nine nominations for the 2023 Emmys, including a nod for Riley's co-star, Camila Morrone

"I'm just proud of everyone who's nominated," the 34-year-old noted. "The department heads worked so hard on this show and everyone put in a lot of time, so it's very nice. I'm proud of everyone who got a nomination and got recognized."

And for fans still holding out for a Daisy Jones & The Six tour, Riley is offering a bit of hope.

"I'm sure that everyone would love to do that," she said. "I think it really depends on everyone's schedule. But I wouldn't say it's out of the question."

To see how all your favorite stars reacted to their Emmy nominations keep reading...

John Legend, The Voice

"I'm so proud of our team at The Voice!" the singer, who is a judge on the singing competition series, said in a statement. "Congratulations on yet another year of Emmy nominations! Season after season, our team comes together to produce a fantastic show that celebrates great music and gifted artists. I'm honored to be a part of it."

Ryan Reynolds & Rob McElhenney, Welcome To Wrexham

"The story of Wrexham has resonated with millions of people because you don't have to be Welsh or a football fan to be moved by this town," the team owners, whose series earned several nominations, said in a joint statement. "We are so grateful for today's 6 Emmy nominations and are continuously honored the people of Wrexham allow us to tell their tale. Diolch! Cymru am byth!"

Rachel Brosnahan, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel

"This is the sweetest cherry on top of this marvelous 5 season sundae," the Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series nominee said in a statement. "Thank you to the Academy for the love for our final season. Thank you to the village that made it possible. We're so grateful to be invited back to the party for one last hoorah."

Pedro Pascal, The Last of Us & Saturday Night Live

"Being a part of The Last of Us has been a dream come true and working alongside Bella Ramsey has made it that much more special," the Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series nominee said in a statement. "The reception the show has received is something I could have never imagined. This wouldn't have been possible without the incredible world built by Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann, our tirelessly hard-working, dedicated crew, and the beautiful province of Alberta. I share this honor with them, and with the wonderful writers."

In addition, his appearance on Saturday Night Live is nominated for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series, as well as his work as a narrator on CNN documentary Patagonia: Life on the Edge of the World.

"Thank you to the Television Academy for not only one but three great honors," the actor added. "Being a host on Saturday Night Live was a childhood dream I didn't think would ever come true. My week on SNL was one of the best of my life, but none of it would have been possible without the incredible work of the writers, cast, and crew, that make the show possible every week. All I can say is…AH MAH GAH!"

Elizabeth Debicki, The Crown

"Playing this role has been the greatest privilege of my acting life," Debicki, who is nominated in the Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series category for her portrayal of the late Princess Diana, said in a statement. "It is an absolute honor to be nominated for this season of The Crown, and I am so humbled to be recognized amongst this group of incredible women and their staggeringly excellent work. Thank you to the Television Academy for this meaningful acknowledgement—I am so grateful."

Taraji P. Henson, Abbott Elementary

"As a fan of the show, working on Abbott Elementary was simple, pure joy…I had no idea that this type of recognition would even be a possibility doing something so fun!" Henson, who is nominated in the Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series category, noted in a statement. "Thank you to Quinta [Brunson] for inviting me to play such a delicious role. This is just an absolute honor."

Brett Goldstein, Ted Lasso

In true Roy Kent fashion, the nominee (who is up for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series), said, "Ahhhhhhhh fxxx yeah! This is amazing!"

"To be nominated once is insanity, twice is nuts but for this to be a hat trick feels silly and proof that we live in a simulation," he continued in a statement. "It makes me feel incredibly lucky, especially when it's in the company of genuine acting legends. What an incredible list to be on and, at long last, it is wonderful to see my fit friend and extraordinary talent Phil Dunster be added to that list. Thanks as always to Jason [Sudeikis], Bill [Lawrence], Brendan [Hunt] and Joe Kelly for inviting me onboard. I'm nothing without them and my fellow Greyhounds. What a ride this whole Lasso train has been, filled with magic. Thank you to the Television Academy for making life a dream. I'm moved as fxxx."

Storm Reid, The Last of Us

"I feel extremely blessed and truly honored to be nominated among these incredible actors," the Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series nominee said in a statement. "The experience of taping my episode of The Last of Us was nothing short of a dream. Thank you to Craig Mazin for believing in my talent and seeing me as Riley. Sending all my congratulations to Bella [Ramsey], Pedro [Pascal], the full cast and crew, and everyone nominated today."

Riley Keough, Daisy Jones & The Six

"This is truly the most amazing surprise!" the Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Or Anthology Series Or Movie nominee stated. "I feel so lucky to have been a part of Daisy Jones & the Six and to work alongside my amazing cast mates and the entire crew. I am thankful to the Academy for receiving this wonderful nomination and to be recognized alongside the other hugely talented women on TV. And I am thrilled for my castmates who also got recognized! Thank you to Hello Sunshine, Amazon, and thank you to the Academy."

Juno Temple, Ted Lasso

The Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series nominee said in a statement that it's "absolutely mind-blowing" to be recognized alongside "some of my favorite people in the world," including co-stars Jason SudeikisHannah Waddingham, Phil Dunster and Brett Goldstein. "It's been an absolute joy bringing Keeley Jones to life. Thank you to the Ted Lasso cast, writers and crew for making this adventure unforgettable in every way. I'm so deeply honored and grateful. AFC Richmond forever!"

Ali Wong, Beef & Tuca & Bertie

"This is a real honor and something I never expected would happen," the comedy star, who is nominated in both the Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Or Anthology Series or Movie category for Beef and the Outstanding Character Voice-Over Performance group for Tuca & Bertie, said in a statement. "I wish my father was alive to experience this moment with me. Much love to Sonny (aka Lee Sung Jin) and the entire Beef family who gave their everything to make such a special show."

Evan Peters, Dahmer - Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story

"Thank you to the Television Academy for this honor," the nominee, who is in the running for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie, shared in a statement. "I feel incredibly grateful to be recognized alongside my fellow nominees and awe-inspiring cast-mates Niecy Nash-Betts and Richard Jenkins. Congratulations to our brilliant directors Paris Barclay and Carl Franklin on their nominations, as well as to our entire cast and crew who worked tirelessly on Monster. I feel beyond grateful to Ryan Murphy for his unbending support, to all our courageous and irreplaceable writers, and to all our pre and post production teams. Thank you!!!"

RuPaul Charles, RuPaul's Drag Race

"In these dark political times, the Television Academy's gracious recognition of RuPaul's Drag Race is a bright light," the host said about the show's multiple Emmy nominations. "Thank you for the love."

Phil Dunster, Ted Lasso

The Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series nominee had three words in response to his first-ever nod: "Holy. Bloody. Hell."

 

"What a fun thing!" he wrote on Instagram. "My Mum nearly crashed her car when I called to tell her. (She's fine. She didn't) Big love."

Matthew Macfayden, Succession

The actor, who won the Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series at the 2022 ceremony, is nominated in the category again for his performance in the final season of the HBO show. 

I'm just delighted," he said in a statement, "and especially delighted to be in such wonderful company! We are of course nothing without our writers—thanks as always to Jesse [Armstrong] and the gang… "buckle up, f--kleheads!"

 

Murray Bartlett, The Last of Us & Welcome to Chippendales

"Thank you to the Television Academy for this double nomination! What?! I'm absolutely over the moon!!" The White Lotus alum, who earned nominations in both the Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series and Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie Categories, said in a statement. "It was total joy to be part of The Last of Us and Welcome to Chippendales, and I'm thrilled that so many of my colleagues on both of these shows have also been recognized for their brilliant work. Thank you! Thank you!"

Young Mazino, Beef

"What an honor to be nominated alongside exceptionally talented actors," the Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie nominee said in a statement. "Thank you so so much to everyone who voted, and to the Beef team that gave me an opportunity to work on something so special. Thank you to my PR team for all their support thus far, and also Sonny...thanks for simply changing my life with Beef!"

 

Padma Lakshmi, Top Chef & Taste the Nation

"I'm over the moon here in Sicily!!!" the former culinary competition host, who left the series after season 20, said in a statement. "I am elated and honored to be nominated for both shows since Taste The Nation is my passion project and it's my last hoorah on Top Chef. Thank you so much to everyone who voted and supported us, both my crews!! It feels great to end my tenure on Top Chef with a nomination for the show. And even sweeter to get a nom as a host!! Maybe this could be the year?!"

She added, "And to make things even incredibly more special is the nomination for Taste the Nation, a show built from an idea in my head to fruition with so much help and love from my whole team. Woo hoo!!!!! I'm going to be celebrating tonight in Italy!!!!"

Bob Odenkirk, Better Call Saul

"I'm thrilled and honored the role of Jimmy/Saul was the role of a lifetime and all I could do was try to make the most of it every single day," Odenkirk, who is up for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series following his performance in the series finale last year, stated. "I'd have to say I feel this is an appreciation of the whole cast and crew as well because everyone around me made me better in this role. Thanks to AMC and the two masterminds Vince Gilligan and Peter Gould for writing a masterpiece for all of us. I'm thrilled that my friend Rhea Seehorn was also nominated. This is a wonderful thing to share as we close the book on these rich characters and this wonderful effort we did together."

 

Natasha Lyonne, Poker Face

"Thank you to the Television Academy!" the Orange Is the New Black alum, who is nominated in the Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series category, said in a statement. "I am honored to be nominated alongside these talented actors. This recognition is incredibly profound and deeply affirming."

Lyonne then gave a shout-out to a few people in particular.

"A special thank you to my much loved partner in crime Rian Johnson for your brilliant vision of Poker Face, creating our Charlie Cale together and bringing her to life. I am so proud to produce and be a part of this series and thrilled to be on this ride with so many of the greats. We have an incredible crew and lineup of guest stars (including the Emmy-nominated and luminescent Judith Light!) that makes the impossible somehow a reality each week. Special shout-out to our beloved production designer Judy Rhee and her team on their nomination and to Tom Place and Becca GT for keeping us safe through all of our stunts! Thank you to Peacock for your support of our show. None of this could have happened without our writers, who we stand in solidarity with. Our creator: Rian Johnson. Showrunners: Lilla and Nora Zuckerman and the rest of our awesome writing team: Christine Boylan, Joe Lawson, Chris Downey, Wyatt Cain, Charlie Peppers and Alice Ju."

Elton John, Elton John Live: Farewell From Dodger Stadium

"It's an honor for my Special to be recognized by the Academy," the singer, whose concert special is a contender in the Outstanding Variety Special (Live) category, said in a statement. "My final Dodger Stadium performance was bittersweet and an evening that I will never forget. My team at Rocket Entertainment, the talented Fulwell 73, and everyone at Disney+ went above and beyond to create a magical production, not only for me as I said goodbye to North America, but for my fans all over the world to enjoy for years to come."

 

Trevor Noah, The Daily Show

"Wow! This is always so surreal," the former host tweeted. "3 Emmy noms for @thedailyshow Thank you to @TelevisionAcad for the honour once again! And of course congrats to everyone behind the scenes at @thedailyshow! Chris McCarthy, and the entire Paramount family! Thank you!"

Henry Winkler, Barry

The Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series nominee raved about the "four incredible years" he spent on the HBO show in his reaction. "I'm thrilled," he said in a statement, "but most of all I'm thrilled I got to have been part of the Barry family."

Keri Russell, The Diplomat

"I am beyond thrilled," the nominee, who is a contender for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series, said in a statement. "This show that Debora Cahn has created has been such a joy and creative fun to make. I am proud and honored."

 

Nick Offerman The Last of Us

In a statement, the Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series nominee shared, "I am powerfully grateful to be in this wagon of HBO artists celebrating inclusivity, DIY, fidelity and strawberries."

Melanie Lynskey, Yellowjackets & The Last of Us

Lynskey scored not one but two nominations, first in the Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series category for Yellowjackets.

"I am so honored and excited!" she said in a statement. "Thank you Television Academy for these nominations for two shows I'm immensely proud to be part of. I'm so thrilled about the nominations for Best Drama for Yellowjackets, and for our amazing casting directors. Everyone knows I am a superfan of our cast and I am looking at my nomination as being representative of the ensemble, as every member of the cast makes the show as special as it is, especially my sweet Sophie Nélisse whose performance this season was otherworldly."

She's also in the running for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series for her role in The Last of Us.

"I am incredibly happy to see all the nominations for The Last Of Us!" Lynskey continued. "I'm eternally grateful to the brilliant Craig Mazin for asking me to be part of the show. I'm elated that so many incredible artists and craftspeople were recognized from multiple departments, not to mention the amazing cast. I'm overjoyed for Bella [Ramsey] and Pedro [Pascal] and Anna [Torv] and Storm [Reid] and Murray [Bartlett] and Nick [Offerman] and the wonderful Lamar [Johnson], and I burst into tears when I saw that Keivonn [Woodard] was nominated. Also GO JULIETTE I LOVE YOU. And of course I stand in solidarity with the WGA - both of these amazing shows started with the script and we would be nothing without our writers - and as a proud member of SAG-AFTRA."

Ray Liotta, Black Bird

"I am so grateful to the members of the Television Academy for honoring my Dad with this nomination," the late star's daughter Karsen Liotta said about her dad's posthumous nomination in the Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie category. "He was so incredibly proud of his performance in Black Bird, and it would mean the world to him to be nominated alongside Taron [Egerton] and Paul [Walter Hauser]."

Paul Walter Hauser, Black Bird

"I'm super honored to be nominated for an Emmy Award," the nominee in the Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited Or Anthology Series Or Movie category said in a statement. "Black Bird is the result of an indefatigable crew, 3 visionary directors, the support of the storytelling giant that is AppleTV+ and Dennis Lehane's mastery in capturing life in all its forms."

Addressing his co-star Taron Egerton, Hauser added, "Taron, you're a brilliant actor, a kind generous spirit, and I sincerely treasure our time on and offscreen." He also said, "Thank you to the Television Academy, my teams at CAA, Artists First, The Lede Company, Dunham, Engelman, Petix, DDP, Sean M and most of all - my beautiful, patient, forgiving wife Amy. No more serial killer roles, babe."

At the end, the actor expressed his hope for other TV series and paid tribute to his late co-star Ray Liotta. "Jury Duty Season 2?" he said. "The Bear Season 3? Fingers crossed. Long live Ray Liotta."

Nathan Lane, Only Murders in the Building

"I'm just feeling very grateful today and honored to be in such great company," Lane, who is nominated in the Outstanding Guest Actor in A Comedy Series group, said in a statement. "As always I'm so thankful to John Hoffman and all the writers and producers, cast and crew of Only Murders in the Building, especially Steve [Martin], Selena [Gomez] and most importantly for me, Marty [Short] and James Caverley, two of the best scene partners you could ask for. Congrats to one and all."

Judith Light, Poker Face

"I am beyond grateful to all my peers in the Television Academy for this very special honor," the Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series nominee stated. "This would not have happened without the brilliant S. Epatha Merkerson, my 'partner in crime," Lucky McKee, our director, Rian Johnson, Natasha Lyonne and of course the team at Peacock. And last, but never least, infinite gratitude to our writers, Charlie Peppers and Wyatt Cain. It was the power of their script that made this truly possible! As we all know, it starts with the writing."

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