Rigl was born in the Netherlands or Austria (sources vary on this point) and trained as a ballet dancer, as her father was an instructor in that subject.

Emily left that long-running show after two years, studied acting, and joined Augustin Daly's company by 1874 as an actress.

(1874, for Daly), The Big Bonanza (1875), Saratoga (1875), Pique (1875, with Maurice Barrymore), The Galley Slave (1879), Mr. Barnes of New York (1888), Devil's Island (1898), Uncle Tom's Cabin (1901 production),[4][5][6][7][8][9] and The Spell (1907).

When starring with Joseph Haworth in The Crust of Society, she announced on stage that he had "made her life unbearable and I will not stand it any longer."

[11] Her sister Betty's acting career was much shorter, she retired from the stage after marrying Philadelphia merchant William Whitney.