NEWS'Blue Lagoon' Star Christopher Atkins Says Alcohol Cost Him Iconic 'Footloose' Role Before Sobriety: 'I Was a Mess'
'The Blue Lagoon' star Christopher Atkins admitted that he lost out on the iconic 'Footloose' role due to his drinking problems.
July 27 2026, Published 4:18 a.m. ET
Christopher Atkins recalled losing his chance to star in Footloose, a role that eventually went to Kevin Bacon, due to his drinking problem.
The 65-year-old actor recently appeared on a panel at the Fanboy Expo Knoxville in Tennessee, where he took a trip down memory lane.
Christopher Atkins Lost the Iconic 'Footloose' Role Due to Alcohol Abuse
Christopher Atkins stated that he was 'a mess' before his 'Footloose' audition.
The movie star explained during the panel that the filmmakers of the cult classic movie wanted to meet him for the role, but he couldn't pull himself together to impress them, per People.
“I was a mess back then. I was partying it up way too much, and they called me in,” he recalled.
“I said … ‘I can’t go in right now. I’ve been drinking and carrying on,’” he stated, before adding, “And they said, ‘No, they need to see you.’”
Christopher Atkins admitted that he 'blew' the audition for 'Footloose.'
“And I went in and I just blew that audition,” the businessman admitted.
“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,’” Atkins claimed.
“And I’m almost 40 years sober, so there you go,” the Hollywood icon said.
Want OK! each day? Sign up here!
Christopher Atkins Recalled His Overnight Fame Because of 'The Blue Lagoon'
Christopher Atkins was 18 when he starred in 'The Blue Lagoon' alongside Brooke Shields.
Atkins was just 18-years-old when he starred in The Blue Lagoon alongside Brooke Shields.
“I’d never done anything before. Never wanted to be an actor — only wanted to play baseball. That was my dream,” he recalled.
“I ended up modeling for Ford modeling agency in New York City and auditioned for The Blue Lagoon … And 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,” he continued.
He also added that during the final audition, they asked him to bring a “blond curly wig.”
Christopher Atkins claimed his Hollywood fame took him by surprise.
Even after so many auditions, the actor claimed that he was severely underprepared for the movie.
“I didn’t know what a camera looked like. I had no idea what a mark was, and I knew nothing. And I had to jump on an airplane and fly all the way to Fiji,” he said.
However, he acknowledged that his life completely changed course after the movie’s release.
“We were young, and so you’re constantly getting this notoriety,” he explained.
“But it changes your life, because all of a sudden you’re nothing and then you’re on every single grocery store magazine,” Atkins reminisced.
