"I like to be under the radar," says Jones, 29, sipping tea between bites of her sweet potato home fries. "Because when things get successful, then they get overhyped, and people try to ride the wave."

Nevertheless, the low-key Jones, who has won eight Grammys and sold 35 million albums, is back in the spotlight — this time, in front of the camera. She's making her movie debut in My Blueberry Nights, out Friday.

Jones plays Elizabeth, a melancholy young woman who embarks on a soul-searching journey across the country after a bad breakup. She befriends a café owner (Jude Law), whom she falls for. Unable to come to terms with her feelings, she waitresses her way from New York to Las Vegas and encounters offbeat characters, including an unhappy couple (David Strathairn and Rachel Weisz) and a crafty gambler (Natalie Portman).

Unlike many young musicians entering showbiz, Jones had no acting aspirations. Then she was approached by Hong Kong director Wong Kar-wai (In the Mood for Love) about starring in his film.

"It took me a few weeks to say yes because I was diving into a world I know nothing about and had no real experience in," she says. "It was kind of a crazy thing that I'm really surprised I did."

The film premiered at Cannes in May, and Jones earned mixed reviews. Time's Richard Corliss wrote that Jones "has all the right moves, but something is missing inside." The Hollywood Reporter's Kirk Honeycutt praised Jones for holding "a wispy, wistful film together with a deeply felt, unself-conscious performance."

Jones did the best she could. "I didn't get a lot of preparation, and I'm not going to pretend I'm a great actress," she says. "I know I'm a newbie, but all I can do is know that I gave it 150%."

She says she was terrified when she first arrived on the set, thanks in no small part to her big-name co-stars. "When the director gave me the cast list, I had a moment of, 'Oh, my God, what did I get myself into?' " she says. "Yes, they're great actors, and it was exciting, but I was so scared."

But she loosened up considerably after spending more time on the set, even joking around with Law in between takes

Her vocal talents are showcased in the film as well. Story, a song Jones wrote on a whim, sets the mood for the final scene: a steamy kiss between Jones and Law.

For now, Jones has no plans for more movies. She's taking a break from recording and hanging out in New York. She is newly single and won't talk about dating. For fun, she watches Showtime's Dexter and is taking a pottery class, "though I've had to miss several classes with all the movie stuff."

"I just really want to be here for a while. I can still play music here. I have a recording studio in my apartment, and I have friends I play with all over town in bars. (Former boyfriend Lee Alexander still joins her.) It's not like I'm quitting."

And she's sporting a new, choppy hairdo. "I got it cut in September, and since then it has gotten shorter and shorter and shorter. This is the shortest it has been. I don't have a regular hairdresser, so each person does something different."

Enlarge By Todd Plitt, USA TODAY First role: Director Wong Kar-wai asked Norah Jones if she would star in My Blueberry Nights with Jude Law.

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