Christopher Atkins

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Christopher Atkins

Atkins attending the Bench Warmer Holiday Party at Empire, Hollywood, CA on December 5, 2009
Born Christopher Atkins Bomann
(1961-02-21) February 21, 1961
Rye, New York
Occupation Actor
Years active 1977–present
Height 180 centimetres (5 ft 11 in)[1]
Spouse(s) Lyn Barron (m.1985), divorced
Children Grant Bomann (b. 1985)
Brittney Bomann (b. 1987)

Christopher Atkins (born Christopher Atkins Bomann;[2] February 21, 1961) is an American actor, who became famous with his co-starring debut role in the 1980 film The Blue Lagoon.

Early life

Atkins in 1981

Atkins was born in Rye, New York, to Donald Bomann and Bitsy Nebauer. In high school, he was a lifeguard and sailing instructor, where he was discovered for The Blue Lagoon.

Career

He had no previous interest or experience in acting, but an agent he knew persuaded him to audition for The Blue Lagoon, a role he won over 2,000 other actors. In the film, he and co-star Brooke Shields played two teenage cousins who have lived alone together since they were marooned as children in a tropical paradise, eventually falling in love. The film was a huge box office success, grossing over US$58 million with a production cost of US$4.5 million.

He went on to star with Kristy McNichol in The Pirate Movie (1982), an update of Gilbert and Sullivan's operetta The Pirates of Penzance. He hit #71 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart with the song "How Can I Live Without Her?", which appeared in The Pirate Movie. Atkins again appeared shirtless in this film, which was to become a recurring theme in his acting career. Atkins commented, "What do you mean as soon as I get a job where I don't have to wear a loincloth, I will be wearing a speedo swimsuit! Will I ever have an acting job when I don't have to be shirtless?"[3]

In A Night in Heaven (1983), also starring Lesley Ann Warren, Atkins played Rick Monroe, an outspoken and overconfident student working his way through college as a male stripper. For one season (1983–1984), Atkins had a recurring role as swimming instructor Peter Richards in the hit CBS prime time soap opera Dallas in which his character has an affair with Sue Ellen Ewing.

Atkins has been the cover boy of innumerable teen magazines and has appeared in several television commercials representing big brand names such as Coke and Adidas, all of which capitalized on Atkins' youth and appearance. He appeared on the cover of the September 1982 Playgirl magazine, and posed nude for a pictorial. He posed nude for the magazine again in December of the same year, but was not fully exposed in either issue.

In the 1990s and 2000s, he drifted into made-for-network and cable movies, such as Fatal Charms, Project Shadowchaser III and Angel Flight Dawn. Recent projects include Caved In, Spiritual Warriors, 13th Child, The Employee of the Month, Tequila Express, Quigley and True Legends of the West. Comic roles include Mortuary Academy (1988), Shoot (1992) and he even re-united with Brooke Shields on her show Suddenly Susan as a fellow journalist who is uninterested in her.[4]

In 2007, he starred in the direct-to-DVD sci-fi movie 100 Million BC. In 2009, he appeared on VH1's Confessions of a Teen Idol, a reality show in which former teen idols attempt to revitalize their entertainment careers.[5]

Atkins and Brittney Bomann on the red carpet at the 62nd Annual Mother Goose Parade in San Diego County, 2008.

Personal life

Atkins' famous curly hair was the result of perms; it is naturally very straight, and has darkened from blonde to brown over time.

He married Lynne Barron, from Sydney, Australia, in 1985; the couple had two children, Grant (b. December 10, 1985) and Brittney (b. May 1, 1987), before they divorced. His daughter Brittney Bomann has appeared in five films. His son Grant Bomann played collegiate baseball for UNC Charlotte from 2008 to 2009.

He owns an outdoor sports company and has patented a fishing lure.

Recognition

Atkins was nominated for a Golden Globe Awards for New Star of the Year in a Motion Picture – Male for The Blue Lagoon as well as Best Young Actor for the Young Artist Awards.

Atkins twice won a Golden Raspberry Award, first for Worst Actor for his role as Rick Monroe in the 1983 film A Night in Heaven, later winning Worst Supporting Actor in the 1989 film Listen to Me.

He's ranked Number 76 on VH1's 100 Greatest Teen Stars.

Filmography

  • The Blue Lagoon (1980) as Richard Lestrange
  • Child Bride of Short Creek (1981) (TV) as Isaac King
  • Swan Lake (1982) (voice) as Prince Siegfried
  • The Pirate Movie (1982) as Frederic
  • Aladdin and the Magic Lamp (1982) (voice) as Aladdin
  • A Night in Heaven (1983) as Rick Monroe (also known as Ricky The Rocket)
  • Dallas (1978) TV Series as Peter Richards (1983–1984)
  • Secret Weapons (1985) as Allan Collier
  • El ataque de los pájaros, also known as Evil Birds and Beaks: The Movie (1987) as Peter
  • Mortuary Academy (1988) as Max Grimm
  • Listen to Me (1989) as Bruce Arlington
  • Shakma (1990) as Sam
  • Fatal Charm (1990) as Adam
  • King's Ransom (1991) as Spence
  • Extralarge: Miami Killer (1991) as Blake
  • Wet and Wild Summer! (1992) as Bobby McCain
  • Dracula Rising (1993) as Vlad
  • Die Watching (1993) as Michael Terrence
  • Dispara! (1993) as Spence
  • Trigger Fast (1994) as Dusty Fog
  • Signal One, also known as Bullet Down Under (1994) as Martin Bullet
  • Guns of Honor (1994) as Dusty Fog
  • Bandit Goes Country (1994) as Johnny Bruce
  • Smoke n Lightnin (1995) as Lightnin'
  • Project Shadowchaser III (1995) as Snake
  • Red Shoe Diaries 13: Four on the Floor (1996) (segment "Four on the Floor")
  • It's My Party (1996) as Jack Allen
  • Dead Man's Island (1996) as Roger Prescott
  • Angel Flight Down (1996) as Jack Bahr
  • Mutual Needs (1997) as Andrew
  • Shoot (1998) as Spence
  • The Little Unicorn (1998) as PC Sid Edwards
  • Lima: Breaking the Silence (1998) as Jeff
  • Deadly Delusions (1999) as Sam Gitlin
  • Stageghost (2000) as Matthew Bronson
  • Dark Realm (2000) (TV Series)
  • Civility (2000) as John Cade
  • Title to Murder (2001) as Paul Shaughnessy
  • Tequila Express (2002) as David Manning
  • The Stoneman (2002) as Kip Hollings
  • Mending Fences (2002) as Tom
  • The Employee of the Month (2002) as Bill
  • The Color of Water (2002) as Clay
  • 13th Child (2002) as Ron
  • Quigley (2003) as Woodward
  • True Legends of the West (2003) as Theodore Sutherland
  • The Librarians (a.k.a. Strike Force) (2004) as Ringo
  • Caved In: Prehistoric Terror (2005) (TV) as John Palmer
  • Spiritual Warriors (2005) as King of Sparta
  • 100 Million BC (2007) as Erik Reno
  • Hidden (2008) as Walter
  • I Am Somebody: No Chance in Hell (2008) (original title: Chinaman's Chance) as Jacob
  • Forget Me Not (2008) as Mr. Channing
  • Confessions of a Teen Idol (2009)
  • Exodus Fall (2009) as Wayne Minor
  • Gathering of Heroes: Legend of the Seven Swords (2009) as Garrik Grayraven
  • The Hard Ride (2009) as George Custer
  • Prism (2009) as Detective Shane Dover
  • The Earth Empires:Ottoman Invasion (2010) as jannisery Commander Murat of the Dark
  • Harley's Hill (2011) as Mr. Miller, the father of Sara, a young girl determined to turn a runaway horse into a prized thoroughbred
  • Blue Lagoon: The Awakening (2012) as Mr. Christiansen

References

  1. ↑ Rowland Croucher et al. (June 15, 2009) John Mark Ministries | I’m mostly glad I’m tall!. Jmm.aaa.net.au. Retrieved on July 24, 2013.
  2. ↑ Christopher Atkins Biography. Movies.yahoo.com (April 20, 2011). Retrieved on 2013-07-24.
  3. ↑ Lost in the Attic – Christopher Atkins. Lostinthepast.net. Retrieved on July 24, 2013.
  4. ↑ Suddenly Susan: Sometimes You Feel Like a Nut. TV.com (February 7, 1999). Retrieved on 2013-07-24.
  5. ↑ Confessions of a Teen Idol's VH1 Page. Vh1.com. Retrieved on July 24, 2013.

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