Kelsea Ballerini almost traded her mic for a suitcase full of drama and chaos in Sicily — and no, we’re not talking about a music tour.
The Grammy-nominated singer, 31, revealed to People during the Variety Power of Women Nashville event on May 1 that she once auditioned for a buzzy role on HBO’s The White Lotus.
And not just any role — the country star had her eyes set on playing Portia, the quirky assistant to Jennifer Coolidge’s iconic Tanya in season 2. That part, of course, ultimately went to Haley Lu Richardson, but Ballerini isn’t holding any grudges.
“I have no shame in my game. I auditioned for the second season of The White Lotus for the role [of] Jennifer Coolidge's assistant that Haley did,” she admitted.
Giving credit where it's due, she added, “She acted so brilliantly and beautifully in it. But yeah, I did audition for that. Fun fact.”
Had she landed the role, Ballerini would’ve found herself entangled in a whirlwind of crime, kidnapping, and heartbreak — Portia's storyline wasn’t exactly a dreamy Italian vacation.
But even though she didn’t make it to Sicily, the Penthousesinger didn’t let her acting dreams end there.
She made her on-screen debut playing a bridezilla aboard The Odyssey, the ship-turned-hospital in the ABC medical drama Doctor Odyssey, starring Joshua Jackson.
As for stepping into the world of scripted television, Ballerini shared back in October that the decision to pursue acting was all about pushing herself into the unknown.
“One of the things that I was like, ‘Run toward the things that scare you!’” she told Women’s Health. But even the ever-confident singer had a flicker of doubt, “What if I suck on TV?”
Her backup plan? “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.”