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| Reef-diving for food in "The Blue Lagoon" |
Atkins landed his first movie role while still a high school senior teaching sailing. His co-star was Brooke Shields, another first-timer whose acting career flourished afterward.
Here's the gist of the film: During the Victorian area, Richard (played by Atkins) and his cousin Emmeline (played by Shields) escape by lifeboat from a sinking ship in the South Pacific. Their only companion is a man named Paddy. The shipwrecked group lands on a tropical island, and Paddy teaches the youngsters to fish, hunt and build a shelter. Then he gets drunk from rum left in the lifeboat and drowns in the ocean, leaving the frightened kids to fend for themselves.
With no adults to supervise them, Richard and Emmeline create a simple life together, unaware that they're about to enter sexual maturity.
Richard and Emmeline often are naked until they enter puberty, having retrieved the tattered clothing they wore on the lifeboat. Only a few scenes depict full frontal nudity. They are seen as such during underwater swimming scenes and in one serious love-making episode shot from a distance. Richard has an implied scene of masturbation. Eventually he and Emmeline give birth to a child even though their clueless about how that happened.
In an interview many years later, Atkins pointed out, "It's only in the United States that they make a big deal about nudity."
The film had some critical success. It was nominated for an Oscar for "best cinematography" in 1981. Atkins was nominated for a Golden Globe as "best new male star of the year in a major motion picture," and for a Saturn Award as "young artist in a major motion picture." The Saturn Awards also nominated the movie for "best fantasy film."
The film contains a few oddities. Atkins, at age 18, was only 5-foot-6. Shields, just 14, already reached her full adult height of 6 feet. As a result, Shields spent much of her time in the movie walking in trenches on the beach so she wouldn't overshadow Atkins.
Atkins noted that offscreen, "It's like having the Statue of Liberty standing beside me."
Atkins apparently wasn't the first choice for the film. One online movie review site says Christopher Reeve, Matt Dillon, John Travolta and Richard Gere turned down the role of Richard. Atkins did beat out Sean Penn on the final day of auditions.
After the film, Shields' career took off while Atkins' did so-so. He lost the lead in "Footloose" to Kevin Bacon. In an interview with UPI in 2009, Atkins revealed that the loss led him to have a breakdown and take up alcohol. He spent time in rehab and has been sober since.
Atkins did get the leading role in "The Pirate Movie," a 1982 take on the Glibert and Sullilvan classic, "The Pirates of Penzance." He made a minor splash as a singer when his song, "How Can I Live Without Her," hit number 71 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles.
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| Christopher Atkins in 2011 |
Atkins ran (or still runs) an outdoor sporting goods store in Sherman Oaks, California. He even has a patent to his credit for a fishing lure. As of 2009, he builds swimming pools. I don't have any business information after then.
He still has posed nude in a number of publications, including a 1982 non-frontal cover spread in "Playgirl" and a few classy posed shots.
Alas, he is entirely straight. He married Australian Lyn Barron in 1985 and had two children. The marriage ended in divorce. He since has been dating women.
Oh, one more thing. Atkins will celebrate his 53rd birthday on February 23. Wish him well. While you're at it, please tell him to take his clothes off.
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| Fishing in "The Blue Lagoon" |
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| "The Blue Lagoon" |
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| Swimming with Brooke Shields in "The Blue Lagoon" |
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| "The Blue Lagoon" |
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| Richard's first not-so-successful attempt at sex with Emmeline |
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| Playing on Black's Beach in California |
Great photos.. still hot today … and the young guys now are so coy about posing naked!
ReplyDeleteI think Christopher Atkins was one of the looking Dudes I have ever seen.
ReplyDeleteChristopher Atkins was Really Super in the Part Chris Played as Richard and as Chris was Naked in most of the time in His first movie which I saw I the movies and I have it in My Collection of Movies then I can see that Sexxxxy Bod and that Really Hot & Extremely Suler, Super Sexxxxy Penis .
I would have Loved it if could have had that Chris,s Absolutely Sexxxxy Bod and Penis for My own Personal Boytoy so I could,be had Fun with Christopher, s Extremely Super,Super, Super Hot Bod with that Really,Really,Really Super Hot Penis .