▁they ▁got ▁to ▁hold ▁the ▁sn akes , ▁according ▁to ▁Kim ▁Mann ers . ▁He ▁later ▁noted ▁that ▁" the ▁fun ny ▁thing ▁was ▁that ▁the ▁actors ▁couldn ' t ▁wait ▁to ▁hold ▁the ▁r att les n akes ▁... ▁but ▁we ▁were ▁still ▁nerv ous ." ▁Co inc ident ally , ▁the ▁father ▁of ▁Michael ▁Ch ilder st he ▁actor ▁who ▁port rayed ▁Re ver end ▁O ' Con nor had ▁actually ▁been ▁a ▁s nake ▁pre acher . ▁Mann ers ▁later ▁noted ▁that ▁" he ▁had ▁gone ▁to ▁church ▁as ▁a ▁child ▁and ▁handled ▁sn akes ." ▁ ▁Before ▁production ▁on ▁" Sign s ▁& ▁W onders ", ▁the ▁produ cers ▁organized ▁several ▁safety ▁meet ings ▁to ▁prevent ▁any ▁possible ▁acc idents ▁on ▁the ▁set . ▁One ▁of ▁the ▁first ▁orders ▁of ▁business ▁was ▁loc ating ▁the ▁nearest ▁hospital , ▁according ▁to ▁make - up ▁effects ▁coordin ator ▁John ▁V ul ich . ▁F ear ▁of ▁an ▁accident ▁was ▁comp ounded ▁by ▁some ▁of ▁the ▁cast ▁and ▁crew ▁members ' ▁fear ▁of ▁sn akes , ▁including ▁Mann ers , ▁David ▁Duch ov ny , ▁and ▁John ▁Sh ib an . ▁Despite ▁the ▁pre ca utions , ▁an ▁accident ▁very ▁nearly ▁occurred ▁when ▁a ▁live ▁r att les nake ▁was ▁brought ▁to ▁the ▁show ' s ▁set ▁and ▁escaped . ▁It ▁was ▁eventually ▁located ▁hiding ▁in ▁Mann ers ' ▁office . ▁In ▁order ▁to ▁prevent ▁future ▁acc idents , ▁the ▁mouth s ▁of ▁the ▁sn akes ▁were ▁se aled ▁with ▁s ut