Christina Ricci was a well-known child star before hitting it big in films as an adult. She was perhaps best known as the devious little Wednesday in the Addams Family movies. But Ricci isn't the only former child star in Black Snake Moan. Her mother in the film is played by Kim Richards, who's best known as Tia from Escape To Witch Mountain and Return To Witch Mountain. In those films, produced by Walt Disney, Kim played one half of a young brother/sister team of psychically empowered children who are hunted down for their supernatural abilities. Richards has appeared in a great deal of projects in both movies and television since her tour of duty on Witch Mountain, including No Deposit, No Return, Diff'rent Strokes, CHiPS, The Dukes Of Hazzard, and an especially memorable role in John Carptenter's original version of Assault on Precinct 13.

When Black Snake Moan started production, no one knew how to get in touch with Richards because, at that point, she hadn't worked in show business in a number of years. BSM writer/director Brewer sought Richards out for the part of Rae's unloving mother because he was a fan of her earlier work and had a crush on her.