LeAnn Rimes Opens Up About Facing Her Fear of Snakes on 9-1-1: Nashville

By TellingPointy Editorial Board

LeAnn Rimes Confronts Childhood Phobias During 9-1-1: Nashville Snake Episode

When LeAnn Rimes first learned that ABC’s 9-1-1: Nashville planned an homage to the 2006 feature film Snakes on a Plane, placing her character Dixie right in the middle of a cabin filled with cobras, she immediately texted showrunner Rashad Raisani. TVLine reported that the singer and actress admitted she felt deeply concerned about the storyline because she has harbored a severe phobia of snakes since experiencing recurring nightmares about them during childhood. “I was a bit concerned about myself,” Rimes tells TVLine.

The Thursday, November 5 episode required Rimes to handle intense action sequences without any prior experience in the genre. She explained that most of the dangerous reptiles on the aircraft were represented by only a couple of plastic props, forcing her to rely heavily on imagination while reacting to the crisis alongside her castmates. Looking back on the production, Rimes reflected that her genuine dread may have actually served as a creative advantage.

I actually think I had a leg up in this episode because my imagination was running wild. That fear actually worked to my benefit in a lot of ways.

Behind the camera, production benefited from firsthand experience with the original feature. Tommy Lohmann, who currently serves as the director of photography for 9-1-1: Nashville, previously worked on the 2006 film Snakes on a Plane as a camera operator. Rimes noted that Lohmann guided her extensively through the physical demands of filming action scenes, teaching her crucial techniques regarding movement and spatial awareness on set.

Overcoming Severe Flight Anxiety After September 11

The terror depicted on screen mirrored real-world anxieties for Rimes, who opened up about her historical struggles with aviation. Us Magazine reported that the artist experienced severe flight anxiety following the September 11 attacks, opting to travel exclusively by tour bus for approximately two years before forcing herself back onto commercial aircraft. She eventually made peace with flying by adopting a philosophical perspective on safety and relinquishing control to circumstances beyond her influence.

In the narrative of the episode, the crisis intensifies when Pharaoh smuggles the venomous snakes aboard the flight. With assistance from Cammie connecting to Dixie over the phone, the passengers and crew manage to keep the reptiles at bay long enough for a rough emergency landing. Facing the real possibility of a fatal crash, Dixie decides to soothe her fellow travelers by performing a heartfelt rendition of “Amazing Grace.”

Rimes shared that the musical moment felt deeply authentic because she had genuinely contemplated what song she would choose to comfort herself during a catastrophic flight emergency. Playing out that scenario on television provided a strange form of catharsis for a fear she has privately weighed many times in her real life.

LeAnn Rimes Addresses Potential Romance Between Dixie and Blythe

9-1-1: Nashville viewers have been clinging to LeAnn Rimes and Jessica Capshaw’s onscreen chemistry — and the country singer isn’t ruling out a possible onscreen romance between Dixie and Blythe. That [idea] is my favorite. Jessica and I laugh so much about that, Rimes, 43, exclusively told Us Weekly before 9-1-1: Nashville‘s return on Thursday. Rimes also recalled asking, Are we using any real snakes at all? adding, Which I was actually down for because I know they would never put me in harm’s way.