Blue Lagoon star Christopher Atkins ‘I'M MOVING TO AUSTRALIA!'

The handsome Hollywood hunk is heading Down Under for love

It’s been 40 years since The Blue Lagoon shot a loincloth clad Christopher Atkins into superstardom, but the talented actor remains surprised at how the cult classic has dramatically changed his life.

“I was 18, it was my first movie and I’d never intended to become an actor. Showbiz was the farthest thing from my mind as a teenager growing up in New York,” laughs the upbeat star, who turns 60 this month.

“As a kid, my heart was set on becoming a pro baseball player, but a knee injury dashed those dreams. So I became a sailing instructor who fell into modelling.

“The next thing, I’m auditioning for a movie called The Blue Lagoon. I went along for a bit of life experience and fun. To my amazement, I beat out 4000 actors to land the role of Richard. Brooke Shields was eventually cast as my love interest Emmeline,” he smiles.

The controversial 1980 coming-of-age movie, which was one of the first to feature male nudity, tells the story of two teenagers marooned on a tropical island. It blitzed the box office and is still loved decades on.