That anonymity vanished in 1980 when, at just 19 years old, he was plucked from obscurity to star in “The Blue Lagoon.” The steamy, taboo-breaking drama — co-starring Brooke Shields — shocked audiences with its daring portrayal of shipwrecked cousins discovering love and intimacy on a deserted island.

While critics slammed it for its nudity and controversial storyline, the box office told another story. The film became a smash hit, propelling Atkins overnight into teen idol hysteria.

Overnight Sensation and Sudden Obsession

Fame hit fast, and with it came attention from every corner. He admitted to being constantly hit on as a teen idol but revealed that there were more offers from men than women, explaining that gay men were his “biggest fan base.”

The young actor found himself the object of desire everywhere he went — a dizzying, intoxicating, and often overwhelming spotlight. Still, he pressed on.

Atkins added credits to his résumé with projects like the TV movie “Child Bride of Short Creek” (1981) and lent his distinctive voice to animated features “Swan Lake” and “Aladdin and the Magic Lamp” in 1982.

By this time, Atkins was taking daring career leaps. He donned pirate garb for “The Pirate Movie,” a campy musical adventure based on Gilbert and Sullivan’s “The Pirates of Penzance.” A year later, he scandalized audiences again in “A Night in Heaven” (1983), playing a college student by day and a stripper by night.

Hollywood wasn’t done with him yet. That same year, Atkins landed a juicy, fan-favorite role in primetime’s most infamous soap, “Dallas.” For 27 episodes between 1983 and 1984, he played Peter Richards — and solidified his status as a television star with a face America couldn’t forget.

Fame Fades and Struggles Begin

Atkins’s stardom had reached its peak in the early 1980s, but by the mid-decade, the offers were slowing. His once-bright spotlight dimmed as he shifted to made-for-TV movies and supporting roles, including “Secret Weapons” (1985) and a guest appearance on “Hotel” the same year. Behind the scenes, though, he was facing harrowing personal turmoil.

Shortly after marrying Australian model Lyn Barron, Atkins was blindsided by betrayal. His then-manager, Mick Schneider, had embezzled as much as $500,000 from celebrity clients — leaving the actor virtually broke. “There is nothing worse than having your whole life pulled out from under you,” he later said.

The devastation drove him into an alcohol-fueled breakdown in 1986, after which he checked himself into rehab. That dark period marked the beginning of a hard-fought battle toward decades of sobriety.

Clawing Back a Career

Even in turmoil, Atkins never abandoned acting. He kept his career alive with roles in “Night Rose: Akhbar’s Daughter” (1987), “Beaks: The Movie” (1987), and “Mortuary Academy” (1988). By 1989, he took on Bruce Arlington in “Listen to Me” and, in 1990, Adam Brenner in “Fatal Charm.” They were smaller productions, but they kept him working.

By the early 1990s, Atkins was not only a working actor but also a father to two children — Grant and Brittney. In 1993 alone, he juggled roles in “Wet and Wild Summer!,” “Outrage,” “Die Watching,” and “Dracula Rising.” He also made guest appearances on “The New Adventures of the Black Stallion” and “Detective Extralarge.”

Throughout the mid-to-late 1990s, Atkins continued to work steadily in television and direct-to-video films. He starred in “Bullet Down Under” (1994), “Guns of Honor,” “Trigger Fast,” and the TV movie “Bandit: Bandit Goes Country.” He also reprised Spence in “King’s Ransom” (1994).

In 1995, he played Snake in “Project Shadowchaser III” and made a guest turn on “Red Shoe Diaries.” That year also brought “Dead Man’s Island.” By 1996, he had TV movie roles in “Angel Flight Down” and “Smoke n Lightnin.” Guest roles in “Silk Stalkings” and “High Tide” kept him steadily visible, even if outside the mainstream spotlight.