Before Kevin Bacon slid across the screen, the lead role in “Footloose” nearly went to a completely different young Hollywood heartthrob.
1980s teen idol Christopher Atkins had already catapulted to overnight fame in the films “The Blue Lagoon” and “A Pirate Movie” before auditioning to play Ren McCormack. The celebrity recently revealed just how close he came to landing the star-making 1984 role and why the part slipped through his fingers.
Christopher Atkins Lost ‘Footloose’ Role Due to Addiction
GettyPeople Magazine shared details of Christopher Atkins’ appearance at Fanboy Expo Knoxville in Tennessee, where he explained why he lost the role that ultimately made Kevin Bacon a 1980s superstar.
Atkins shared his story with fans during a Q&A panel. “I was a mess back then, partying it up way too much, and they called me in.”
“I said, ‘I can’t go in right now. I’ve been drinking and carrying on,” the actor continued.
“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. They said, ‘Yeah, we’re going to have to pass on this guy,” Atkins added.
“And I’m almost 40 years sober, so there you go,” he concluded.
The Former Teen Idol Didn’t Always Want to Be an Actor
Christopher Atkins shot to superstardom when he starred alongside Brooke Shields in the feature film “Blue Lagoon.” The 1980 movie turned the lush tropical romance into a smash that made him an overnight heartthrob.
The film tells the story of two young shipwrecked cousins who get marooned on a deserted South Pacific island. Left to survive on their own, they fall in love, navigate adulthood without any guidance, and eventually start a family together.
Decider reported that the film was given a mature rating. Although this was a roadblock, many young fans made the film a must-see event when it was released in the Summer of 1980.
However, despite making a literal splash in that film, Atkins told fans at the Expo that acting wasn’t his bucket list career choice. In fact, the young star was actively pursuing a career in professional baseball before the “Blue Lagoon” audition changed his life completely.
“I’d never done anything before. Never wanted to be an actor. Only wanted to play baseball. That was my dream,” he revealed.
“I ended up modeling for Ford modeling agency in New York City and auditioned for ‘The Blue Lagoon.” I kept getting called back and called back and called back. And then [after] a couple months, I didn’t hear from them … And then all of a sudden I got another call back,” the actor explained, learning that he ultimately won the part.
Ultimately, while Christopher Atkins missed out on kicking off his Sunday shoes by starring in “Footloose,” he has no regrets about how his Hollywood journey unfolded. Kevin Bacon went on to make movie history in the career-defining role. But Atkins captured his own place in pop culture history as one of the defining teen idols of the era.
