Director Randal Kleiser actively attempted to foster a real-life romance between his young stars Brooke Shields and Christopher Atkins during the filming of the 1980 film "The Blue Lagoon," according to Atkins.
Atkins, who was 18 at the time of filming, shared on the "Media Path" podcast that Kleiser sought to enhance the on-screen chemistry by encouraging a personal relationship between him and Shields, who was then 15. "He had put a picture of Brooke over my bunk on the boat so I would look at her every night before I went to sleep so I would fall in love, so it would show up on film," Atkins recounted.
He added that he and Shields did experience "a little romance" during filming, describing it as "very innocent and sweet." Atkins also stated he felt protective of Shields during the production and that she was a source of guidance for him as he learned about filmmaking.
Shields herself has previously spoken about the director's efforts to push them together. In a 2022 appearance on her "Now What?" podcast with Atkins, she recalled, "They wanted us so desperately to fall in love with each other." Shields expressed that she did not react well to being pressured into developing feelings, noting that she had not yet experienced a kiss at that age. She also shared discomfort with nude scenes in the film, stating, "I was like, ‘Oh God, why do I have to look at this? I’ve never seen one of those before, and I’m not going to start now!'"
In "The Blue Lagoon," Shields and Atkins played characters who fall in love and have a child after being shipwrecked on a remote tropical island.
Page Six has reached out to representatives for Shields and Kleiser for comment.