At 35, Nicole Richie is reinventing herself all over again in a way that’s relatively unprecedented for a former reality star — not that we should be surprised, since she’s pretty much the poster child for a certain brand of mercuriality. This month, she’s adding actress to her list of done-that’s. As an anchorwoman named Portia on NBC’s Great News, which debuts April 25, she puts her natural comedic chops on full display. She even got the coveted Tina Fey stamp of approval.

Still, the newbie actress was understandably anxious about joining a seasoned ensemble. But Richie handled her nervousness the way she does most things in life: by being honest and rolling with the punches. That first day on set, she announced to everyone in earshot that she had zero clue what she was doing — so please, folks, pass along the pointers and criticisms. Anything to help her up her acting game.

It’s that kind of radical openness that has paved her unconventional path to stardom. But for Richie, it’s not about chasing fame, or roles — or anything, really. “It’s about how I’m spending my time here. What I’m working on right now is setting up my life.”