[2] Early in her career, Riley performed on television in Fresno and in underwater ballet at a hotel.

[1] She appeared in guest roles on numerous television series (Route 66, The Man from U.N.C.L.E., The Wild Wild West) and a few feature films such as The Big Mouth (1967), Fever Heat (1968), The Comic (1969) and Electra Glide in Blue (1973).

Winning the role over 300 competitors,[2] Riley portrayed Billie Jo Bradley on the first two seasons of the CBS sitcom Petticoat Junction (1963–1965).

She also had a regular cast member role on the comedy variety series Hee Haw (1969–1971).

[5] In 2020, Riley released The Bolder Woman: It's About Time (ISBN 979-8550679210), a book she wrote "to instruct women how they can still fulfill their dreams no matter how old they get.