Kim Fields on Real Housewives of Atlanta Crew: "A Pinch of Each of Them Is in Me"

Come November, a new lady will be added to the mix on Real Housewives of Atlanta: Kim Fields. The actress, best known for her roles in Facts of Life and Living Single, will join the show's vets — as well as fellow newbie Shamea Morton — for Season 8. And for a show with enough big personalities to fill the ATL a few times over, she tells the Huffington Post that "overall, it's been an quite the adventure." "Let me just say, it's been 'different.' But at this stage of my life I welcome - 'different.' This experience has awakened many creative voices in me," she continued. "I love that I get to be me and not play a character. It has been an eye-opening experience to say the least."

Being in an all-female crew hasn't been much an adjustment for the actress. "For 14 years I was in an ensemble cast filled with women. I can surely navigate my way through this. Throughout the process, I've gleaned a little something from each lady," she said. "A pinch of each of them is in me."

In addition, Kim gave her take on some of the veterans. "Kenya is very girly, ultra feminine - in terms of her exterior. I say, yeah, I can do more of that. Kandi is straight forward - all the time. I'm a bit more diplomatic - sometimes to a fault. Yet I say, how can I use some of her candid style," she explained.

The mother of two also revealed how female camraderie helped her overcome hard times. "Going out with ladies and having ladies night out has been very healthy for me. I give and give and sometimes I can't find me," she explained. "I'm sure many moms and wives go down that same rabbit hole. I realized that I hadn't really had 'me' time since 1998. Living Single was ending and I was going through a divorce, contemplating a move from Los Angeles, so I thought that since I was by myself I was having 'me' time...Hanging with the ladies helps me see that 'me time' doesn't mean I'm a bad mom or wife. If fact, it recharges my battery to be a better mom and wife."

While the idea of her being on reality TV might be new, Kim had long been asked to take her real life to the small screen. But it wasn't until now that she felt it was the right opportunity and platform. "I've been asked for years to do a reality show. One of my criteria is that I would be given the opportunity to show a strong family unit," she said. "When they came to me to do the show, they said, 'We love you. We love your light and we love your opinions and you can give them in your way.' So far they have been great in letting me be me."

When Andy Cohen stopped by The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon on Wednesday (September 30), he opened up about the new addition to the crew — and revealed what he'd love her tagline to be. "I'm trying to get her to say, 'You know I don't want to toot my own horn...' or something like that. No, she doesn't really want to talk about Tootie in her tagline. I got to call her."

Catch the new season of RHOA on Sunday, November 8 at 8/7c.