Christopher Atkins

Early life

Atkins was born in Rye, New York, to German Americans 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 grossed over $58 million with a production cost of $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. From that movie, he sang "How Can I Live Without Her" which peaked at #71 on the Billboard Hot 100 in September 1982.

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 camp counselor Peter Richards on the CBS prime time soap opera Dallas in which his character has an affair with Sue Ellen Ewing.

Atkins has been the cover boy of many teen magazines and has appeared in several television commercials representing Coke and Adidas.

In the 1990s and 2000s, he appeared in the made-for-network and cable movies Fatal Charms, Project Shadowchaser III and Angel Flight Dawn. Other projects includef 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 reunited with Shields on her series Suddenly Susan as a fellow journalist who is uninterested in her.

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 featuring former teen idols.

Personal life

Atkins married Lynne Barron Weber, of Sydney, Australia on 25 May 1985; the couple had two children, a son, Grant Bomann (born 10 December 1985) and a daughter, Brittney Bomann (born 1 May 1987).

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. He has also been twice nominated for the Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Actor, winning in 1983 for his performance in A Night in Heaven.

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