'80s Movie Heartthrob, 64, Posts First Photo After Surgery – See the Update

Christopher Atklins is on the mend following a post-holiday surgery.  On Jan. 7, The Blue Lagoon actor, 64, posted to Instagram to give fans a look at his recovery and let them know he was doing just fine.

In the photo, Atkins lounged on a couch with his arm wrapped in gauze and a brace. He gave fans a thumbs-up as he posed for the post-surgery shot.

“Surgery went well,” the actor captioned the post. “Got more metal in me. I’ll need to get to airports even earlier to get through security! Lol. Thanks for all your well wishes! Love you!”

Atkins did not go into detail about the procedure, but he replied to a fan who asked what type of surgery he had. “Lots of sports as a kid. Caught up to me. Got a metal elbow,” Atkins revealed.

View this post on Instagram

Atkins’ surgery came days after he returned home from a ski trip to Switzerland—and he cut it close. Four days before his post-surgery post, he shared a photo from the last day of his vacation.

“Last hike in Switzerland!” he captioned an outdoor shot. “Simply beautiful hike through the snow and frozen waterfalls! Would have been back in NY but good Ole Delta canceled the flight then were absolutely incapable of rerouting. Wouldn’t have been so bad if I wasn’t having surgery the next day! Thanks to my friends who stayed hours on the phone and finally after Delta saying there is nothing, ‘happened’ to find a flight.”

Atkins is best known for his roles in the 1980s moviesThe Blue Lagoon, The Pirate Movie, and A Night in Heaven. He also had a role in the TV series Dallas in the 1980s.

In a 2025 interview with Woman’s Day, Atkins revealed that a surgery cut his career plans short more than 40 years ago. “My dream was to become a pro baseball player, but that was sidelined after undergoing knee surgery,” he told the outlet last July. “I was a sailing instructor and model when I auditioned for The Blue Lagoon.”

The actor also revealed that it was simply luck that that scored him the role as Richard opposite Brooke Shields’ Emmeline in the iconic 1980 movie.

“Randal Kleiser, who’d directed Grease with John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John, said I had the right look and physique,” Atkins shared. “Randal envisaged a tanned Adonis with blond curly hair. So Mum dragged out an old wig, which I wore to the audition. For the movie, they permed my hair, which was a nightmare. That infamous loincloth I wore was very uncomfortable, as it was fashioned from coconut husk and palm fronds.”

“Willie Aames was first choice, but he turned it down because of the nudity,” Atkins added of the role.

Atkins continues to act more than 45 years later. His most recent role was in the 2025 action-thriller Out for Vengeance, per IMDb.

🎬SIGN UP for Parade’s Daily newsletter to get the latest pop culture news & celebrity interviews delivered right to your inbox🎬