Entertainment TV Scripted TV Shows Kelsea Ballerini Worried 'What If I Suck?' Ahead of Acting Debut in Doctor Odyssey The country singer had her fair share of nerves ahead of her acting debut, but she was relaxed by the fact that she'll always have music as her "home base" By Julia Moore Julia Moore Julia Moore is a TV writer-reporter at PEOPLE. A graduate of Northwestern University, she has been working at PEOPLE since 2022. People Editorial Guidelines Published on October 15, 2024 11:15AM EDT Comments Kelsea Ballerini at the premiere of "Doctor Odyssey" held at Bel-Air Bay Club on September 18, 2024 in Pacific Palisades, California. Photo: Chad Salvador/Variety via Getty Kelsea Ballerini is embracing the unknown. The country singer, 31, made her first foray into the acting world as a guest star on Ryan Murphy's new medical drama, Doctor Odyssey, and she said that the decision to try something new is on theme with the current era of her life. She described acting as "one of the things that I was like, 'Run toward the things that scare you!'" in a cover story for Women's Health, though she admitted she'd worried, "What if I suck on TV?" "Then you know what I do? I’ll go put on my glitter and go back onstage," Ballerini said. "That’s always going to be home base.” Joshua Jackson Weighs in on the Internet's Theory About Doctor Odyssey – But Is He On Board? Ballerini's guest-starring role in the Joshua Jackson-led medical drama was revealed in the show's trailer, which dropped a week before its premiere. She's one of many stars who make appearances in the series, including John Stamos, Cheyenne Jackson, Chord Overstreet and Gina Gershon. Chase Stokes and Kelsea Ballerini attend the premiere for ABC's 'Doctor Odyssey' at Bel-Air Bay Club on September 18, 2024 in Pacific Palisades, California. Disney/Frank Micelotta At the L.A. premiere on Sept. 18, she told PEOPLE she was "timid" ahead of the role, as it marks her "first time ever trying the acting hat on." "I wasn't reserved on the fact that it was my first time. So I asked a lot of questions and I feel like I learned so much, and I really hope that I did the character and the show proud." Kelsea Ballerini Admits She Doesn't Watch Boyfriend Chase Stokes on Outer Banks: 'He and I Have a Deal' She also had the built-in help of her boyfriend, Outer Banks star Chase Stokes, if she had questions. "I've always called acting his world, and so whenever I was asking him questions about this opportunity, I was like, 'What about this in your world?'" she said. "And he was like, 'Hey, it's just a world. I'm a part of it and now you're a part of it. It's not my world.'" She continued, "By the end of the conversation, I was like, 'OK, so you'll run the scene with me?' And he was like, 'Yeah, let's do it.'" Kelsea Ballerini Women's Health cover. Caleb and Gladys for Women's Health Stokes is also mega supportive of Ballerini in the world she's more often at the center of: music. "It is unbelievable. It is a master class in songwriting," Stokes, 32, told PEOPLE of his girlfriend's forthcoming album, Patterns. "To watch her on the back porch writing and see what it is now, it is the most fascinating thing." Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. Doctor Odyssey airs Thursdays at 9 p.m. ET on ABC Close