LeAnn Rimes is not a diva -- she just plays one on TV.

Sunday night, the newlywed singer/actress guests on the season 3 premiere of Lifetime's 'Drop Dead Diva,' starring Brooke Elliott as an attorney. Rimes plays the ex-wife of a celebrity accused of a hit-and-run, and she's walking into the role winking at all the perceived drama surrounding her personal life.

AOL TV spoke to the star about 'Diva,' how she and hubby Eddie Cibrian handle tabloid coverage, her brief foray into soap opera acting and more.

Lately, you do more acting than singing.
RIMES: Yes. 'Drop Dead Diva' asked me to do an episode last year. The character they offered me the first time is the complete opposite of this one, I loved it. But the timing wasn't right. They wrote this character specifically for me, hoping I'd do it. I loved it when I read it. The show's great, really funny. I love playing the scorned ex-wife of a TV star.

Are you careful not to take roles from producers who try to capitalize on your off-screen life?
Completely. And I didn't feel that this was. There are enough differences between my life, what I've experienced and this [character.] People don't normally see me in roles like this. They see me in love stories. To do this was really funny. During breaks people on set were like, 'You play a bitch real well.' (Laughs) I said, "Thank you! That's a compliment."

What do you like about 'Diva?'
The message of the show is that this aspiring model died and came back in someone else's body, who is heavier, not necessarily who she'd want to be. But she has this amazing heart and is this smart-as-a-whip lawyer. We think body image is black-and-white, but we all come in so many different shapes and sizes. I just love that that's on television -- that there's a real woman on television playing someone incredibly smart and successful. They break into song every once in a while. It's really fun and really well-written, too.

Did you sing in the episode?
No. I plan on staying away from singing roles as much as possible unless it's makes sense for the character to be doing it.