Christopher Atkins starred in the 1980 film “The Blue Lagoon” alongside Brooke Shields. At the time, Atkins was 18, and Shields was 14. It was a breakout role for both, and the film has become a classic. But what has Atkins been up to these days?
Christopher Atkins Makes Rare Return to the Limelight With New Video
Atkins has had success in the entertainment industry, but his profile is not as high as it once was, and he is seldom seen in public. However, on Thursday, October 8, he posted a rare video of himself on Instagram. “I haven’t done a video in a while, and I’ve sort of been off Instagram a little bit too long, so I apologize,” he told the camera. He teased that he has been busy “doing some stuff and got some interesting things going on.” The actor then showed fans his beautiful bowl creation, which features pine cones inside it.
Fans praised Atkins, who is now 65, for his tremendous skill. “Looks amazing. You’re so talented. Weather looks amazing too. Thanks for the update. Cheers!” a comment reads. “Amazing artwork, will you please show us the process?” another person wrote.
Christopher Atkins Reflects on His Iconic Role
Atkins has had success in his career, although arguably not on the same level as Shields. In a 2023 appearance on the “Behind the Velvet Rope” podcast, he admitted to feeling jealous of how his career turned out. “I kept wishing, I guess, or [was] jealous that I wasn’t in an ‘A’ movie again. Do you know what I mean?” he said, Entertainment Weekly reports.
He continued, “Because I consider myself an actor, that’s what I’ve done for 43 years, that’s my business, this is what I do, I still, to this day, dream of being in an ‘A’ movie again.” He added, there are “two boxes that I still have to tick in this business. I wanna make my own picture. Now I’ve done everybody else’s movie, from tiny little thing to major motion pictures, and I’m in the business, and I want my turn. And so I have some projects that I’m working on now. And then one just came up, and the other thing is I want [to] direct one.”
Christopher Atkins Lost Out on a Major Role
Atkins has appeared in “Dallas,” “The Pirate Movie,” “A Night in Heaven,” and “Listen to Me.” However, he revealed in a Q&A panel at the Fanboy Expo Knoxville in Tennessee in 2026 that he missed out on another iconic role: the 1984 film, “Footloose.” “I was a mess back then, I was partying it up way too much, and they called me in,” he recalled, People reports. “I said, ‘I can’t go in right now. I’ve been drinking and carrying on.’ And they said, ‘No, they need to see you.’ And I went in, and I just blew that audition … I mean, it wasn’t even an audition — I had the part, but I was so messed up that they said, ‘Yeah, we’re going to have to pass on this guy.”
Comments
‘The Blue Lagoon’ Heartthrob Christopher Atkins, 65, Seen in Rare Appearance: See Him Then & Now