Jeannine Riley (born October 1, 1940) is an American actress who became a popular television “blonde bombshell” of the 1960s, best known as the original actress to play the flirtatious and beautiful Billie Jo Bradley on the classic sitcom, Petticoat Junction.
After guest-starring on popular Westerns like The Virginian, Riley was cast in 1963 as one of the three original Bradley sisters. As the glamorous Billie Jo, she was a central part of the show’s early success for its first two seasons. She left the series in 1965 to pursue a film career, which included roles in the Jerry Lewis comedy The Big Mouth (1967) and the Western The Wackiest Wagon Train in the West (1976)
Riley returned to television and became a familiar face to a new audience as a regular performer on the popular country-themed comedy and music show, Hee Haw, from 1969 to 1971. With her memorable roles on two of the era’s most popular rural comedies, she cemented her legacy as a quintessential 1960s television beauty.
