Show notes
After years of contemplating an acting role, Country star Kelsea Ballerini, has officially made the leap as she appeared as a guest star on the new ABC series, Doctor Odyssey this week (11/7). Playing the part of an over-compensating bride with deep secrets, Ballerini showed the power of her creative depth goes far beyond her music.
“I’ve been dabbling with the idea of getting into the acting space for a couple of years now because I said the hardest ‘no’ to it for so long,” she told Audacy’s Katie Neal during an appearance on the Superstar Power Hour. “I was just scared of sucking. I'm scared of failing, especially publicly, like on a TV film situation, that feels terrifying to me.”
The 31-year-old admits failure seemed especially scary to her now as she’s dating well-known actor, Chase Stokes who stars on Outer Banks, but after self-identifying as a “swing for the fences kind of girl,” she went for it. And while she might’ve had immediate access to her very own acting mentor in Stokes, Ballerini said she wanted to take this journey independently and didn’t rely on him for much help at all.
“I'm so independent... the only time I had seen like a call sheet before was when I would go visit him on set at Outer Banks, so it was just, it was new. So I would ask him logistical questions like, ‘What does this mean, crew call?’ … But as far as helping me, I was like, ‘I wanna do it on my own and then show you,’ you know?”
Ballerini’s episode on Doctor Odyssey — which centers around the medical staff on a luxurious cruise ship — premiered Thursday night (11/7) and featured Ballerini as a Type A-presenting bride who viewers find out at the end is battling deep, dark secrets.
“Quite literally, I am screaming, crying, or throwing up the entire hour, the entire hour,” she shared. “Like, day one, my first scene is just me vomiting over and over and over again. So it was fun, it was an experience and I will do it again if I can.”
While not an acting role, Ballerini already has her next television part on lock as she’s set to appear on season 27 of The Voice this Spring. Kelsea shared she has already started filming alongside fellow judges for that season which include Michael Bublè, Adam Levine and John Legend.
“I knew John Legend, from when I filled in for Kelly [Clarkson], but I had never met [Michael] Bublè, and I had never met Adam Levine,” she shared. “I was nervous, you know, I grew up on their music. So being up there with them and knowing that I had to fight with them to get certain artists from my team was, I mean, that is such a head trip to be like, ‘I understand that you probably want to go to the lead singer of Maroon 5, But here's why you should pick me instead.’ Pick me, choose me, love me,” she laughed.
“Everyone thinks it’s scripted - there’s no script. It requires so much presence,” she continued. “You are there, the camera’s on you 12 hours a day and you are coaching, you are available the whole time… It’s like, in my 10- years what can I give this person? And also, where can I just step back and listen too?”
On top of all her TV time, Ballerini hasn’t abandoned her music as she recently celebrated the release of her studio album, Patterns, which she produced and wrote alongside five of her best, female friends which she takes tremendous pride in.
“I just honestly, I didn't know where to start after [Rolling Up the] Welcome Mat because I didn't make that album to be what it became,” she disclosed. “I’m so grateful, but I was like ‘What do I do now? How do I make a record to follow this up?’” I don't know.”
She continued, “So, I took a retreat and I just asked my friends that I felt safe with that happened to be stupidly talented. So Alysa Vanderheym, Jessie Joe Dillon, Karen Fairchild, and Hillary Lindsey, we all went to this beautiful house in St. Louis. I just knew if there was a way to dip my toe in, it was there. And if we d ...
Our TOPPODCAST Picks 
Stay Connected
