Along with co-star Jane Turner who plays Kim's onscreen mother Kath Day-Knight, Riley is the creator and writer of the series.
[1] Turner invented the character of Kim Craig during the nineties while performing on Australian sketch comedy shows such as Big Girl's Blouse.
Riley returned to screens as Kim in the film version Kath & Kimderella, which premiered in cinemas in September 2012.
She loves to refer to herself as a "trophy wife" and has tried to use her looks to get Brett promoted on multiple occasions, calling herself "his biggest asset and secret weapon".
This attitude contrasts with that of her mother, Kath, who is happy with her outward appearance and calls herself "high maintenance".
Kim remains mostly unemployed and puts in little effort in getting a job - let alone keep one, as illustrated by her constant hiring and firings from the call center.
When Brett cheats on Kim with Kylie & Dannii Bolton in the episode "Sport", she reacts heavily and wants revenge on the twins.
Kim is always running back home to Kath and her new husband Kel, and lives with them by the end of the series.
Sharon Strzelecki is played by popular Australian comedy actress Magda Szubanski who had previously acted in the international film Babe.
When Sharon shares her desire to track down her mother in the episode "Roots", Kim laughs and retorts, "why would she want to meet you!".
Kim is exceptionally mean to Sharon, often zeroing in on her biggest insecurities such as her desperation to find a man, her weight, or her appearance - and then exploiting them.
Kim and Kel rarely interact, and when they do, the mood is "off" and the scene is completely awkward - with one muttering a single word to the other, and the other either walking away or trying to put on a smile.
Kim attended Fountain Lakes High, but left in year 10 (this was not an unheard of practice until fairly recently in Australia).
When Kim's father Gary Poole unexpectedly returns to Melbourne after 25 years in exile in Hong Kong, Kim unwisely loans him money for "ventures", ultimately causing her and Brett to lose their marital home to repossession.
Kim tries to have Epponnee try out for the Australian Soap Neighbours, however Brett is against it - showing the couple's opposing values and life goals.
In that episode, Epponnee (played by Kylie Minogue for a one-off portrayal) is getting married and treats Sharon better than Kim.
On rare occasions, Kim will actually yell at the infant, telling her to stop crying so she could hear the television.
Brett is seen giving more affection to their child and enjoys taking her to work, although he partially does this to help boost sales.
Kim often compares herself and her actions to those of celebrities including Melanie Griffith, Rachel Hunter, Madonna and Jennifer Aniston.
An example is when Sharon cried about not having any love, Kim responds "I knew you would never get married... but the good news is I'm getting back with Brett".
Another recurring gag in the show is Kim's tumultuous relationship with Kath's new husband Kel, who tries to make an effort with her and likes to think of himself as a father figure.