1 00:00:04,040 --> 00:00:06,080 Speaker 1: What do you do in life doesn't go according to 2 00:00:06,120 --> 00:00:09,680 Speaker 1: plan that moment you lose the job, or a loved one, 3 00:00:10,200 --> 00:00:13,920 Speaker 1: or even a piece of yourself. I'm Brookshields and this 4 00:00:14,560 --> 00:00:18,720 Speaker 1: is now What a podcast about pivotal moments as told 5 00:00:18,720 --> 00:00:21,279 Speaker 1: by people who lived them. Each week I s to 6 00:00:21,360 --> 00:00:23,600 Speaker 1: Till with a guest to talk about the times they 7 00:00:23,640 --> 00:00:26,880 Speaker 1: were knocked off course and what they did to move forward. 8 00:00:27,880 --> 00:00:33,240 Speaker 1: Some stories are funny, others are cut wrenching, but all 9 00:00:33,280 --> 00:00:38,320 Speaker 1: are unapologetically human and remind us that every success and 10 00:00:38,400 --> 00:00:42,680 Speaker 1: every setback is accompanied by a choice, and that choice 11 00:00:42,920 --> 00:00:50,520 Speaker 1: answers one question, now, what there's so much talk about 12 00:00:50,560 --> 00:00:53,440 Speaker 1: all the nudity and the sensuality, and how did you 13 00:00:53,479 --> 00:00:56,840 Speaker 1: deal with with that, like emotionally well, I mean at 14 00:00:56,880 --> 00:00:59,080 Speaker 1: first it was it was weird, but then as everybody 15 00:00:59,080 --> 00:01:02,040 Speaker 1: else was doing it, I got into it. I mean 16 00:01:02,120 --> 00:01:03,600 Speaker 1: after that movie, it was hard for me to keep 17 00:01:03,640 --> 00:01:06,120 Speaker 1: my clothes on. I'm sure you made a lot of 18 00:01:06,160 --> 00:01:08,480 Speaker 1: people happy about I can't go to the beach and 19 00:01:08,600 --> 00:01:10,760 Speaker 1: want to put my suit on. It's just not right. 20 00:01:11,080 --> 00:01:14,319 Speaker 1: But there was there was scenes that I was but 21 00:01:14,600 --> 00:01:19,039 Speaker 1: naked with you. If you remember sliding down that slide 22 00:01:19,040 --> 00:01:21,280 Speaker 1: and things like that, and that was that was a 23 00:01:21,360 --> 00:01:23,240 Speaker 1: little awkward, but it was kind of funny for me 24 00:01:23,319 --> 00:01:25,160 Speaker 1: because at this point in time, you know, I just 25 00:01:25,560 --> 00:01:27,839 Speaker 1: did it, but it was more fun to your reaction, 26 00:01:28,040 --> 00:01:31,360 Speaker 1: just like, oh God, Like, why do I have to 27 00:01:31,360 --> 00:01:33,720 Speaker 1: look at that. I've never seen one of those before. 28 00:01:33,840 --> 00:01:41,600 Speaker 1: I'm not gonna start now. My guest today is actually 29 00:01:41,640 --> 00:01:45,920 Speaker 1: really one of my oldest friends, Christopher Atkins. Chris and 30 00:01:45,959 --> 00:01:49,800 Speaker 1: I met when we were on the set of Blue Lagoon, 31 00:01:49,920 --> 00:01:54,880 Speaker 1: which is our nineteen eighties film. I was just fourteen 32 00:01:54,960 --> 00:01:58,680 Speaker 1: and he was eighteen, and back then we honestly had 33 00:01:58,760 --> 00:02:01,040 Speaker 1: no idea how much I'm movie was going to change 34 00:02:01,040 --> 00:02:04,400 Speaker 1: our lives. The years that followed were the only thing 35 00:02:04,440 --> 00:02:07,960 Speaker 1: I could think of as pure insanity. But there is 36 00:02:08,200 --> 00:02:11,000 Speaker 1: no one else that I would have rather taken that 37 00:02:11,120 --> 00:02:15,840 Speaker 1: journey with. Chris was and still is a joy to 38 00:02:15,960 --> 00:02:19,200 Speaker 1: work with, and in the four decades that I've known him, 39 00:02:19,240 --> 00:02:22,840 Speaker 1: I've watched him grow from a first time movie star 40 00:02:23,080 --> 00:02:27,800 Speaker 1: to a seasoned actor, a father, writer, an entrepreneur, and 41 00:02:27,880 --> 00:02:31,160 Speaker 1: I'm just so grateful that he wanted to even share 42 00:02:31,280 --> 00:02:35,440 Speaker 1: a moment of his incredible story with us. Taking this 43 00:02:35,520 --> 00:02:39,520 Speaker 1: trip down memory lane with him was was really sweet. So, 44 00:02:39,639 --> 00:02:44,640 Speaker 1: without further ado, here is my leading man, Christopher Atkins. 45 00:02:50,960 --> 00:02:53,240 Speaker 1: Do you remember meeting me for the first time? Yeah? 46 00:02:53,360 --> 00:02:59,000 Speaker 1: Kind of absolutely, yeah, kind of years ago. All right, 47 00:02:59,080 --> 00:03:01,040 Speaker 1: Well I've at least makes me feel like I made 48 00:03:01,040 --> 00:03:06,160 Speaker 1: an impression for you, of course. Well, I mean, listen, 49 00:03:06,200 --> 00:03:09,080 Speaker 1: we spent a long time together. I get more questions 50 00:03:09,080 --> 00:03:15,320 Speaker 1: asked about Blue Lagoon than any other movie, any other anything. 51 00:03:15,720 --> 00:03:18,840 Speaker 1: I mean, maybe I get Calvin Klein, but like people 52 00:03:19,040 --> 00:03:23,480 Speaker 1: from all over the world will say Laguna blue, you know, 53 00:03:24,160 --> 00:03:26,960 Speaker 1: I mean, like, did ever make you crazy that people 54 00:03:27,000 --> 00:03:28,639 Speaker 1: did that? You know? It was kind of a blessing 55 00:03:28,639 --> 00:03:30,040 Speaker 1: and a curse, if you if you know what I 56 00:03:30,080 --> 00:03:33,840 Speaker 1: mean as far as the industry goes, because everybody, I 57 00:03:33,880 --> 00:03:35,880 Speaker 1: can't tell you how many pictures I had to do 58 00:03:35,920 --> 00:03:38,560 Speaker 1: with curly hair and wearing that diaper after that movie. 59 00:03:38,600 --> 00:03:42,480 Speaker 1: But um, that's just just just the way it was. 60 00:03:42,840 --> 00:03:46,040 Speaker 1: But no, I listen, you look back on it, and 61 00:03:46,200 --> 00:03:48,360 Speaker 1: people who come into Hollywood want to be actors. Their 62 00:03:48,440 --> 00:03:51,200 Speaker 1: dream is to get that golden ticket. You know that 63 00:03:51,480 --> 00:03:54,840 Speaker 1: that hit And how lucky were we that we had 64 00:03:54,920 --> 00:03:59,600 Speaker 1: something that was so incredibly mess To this day, I 65 00:03:59,680 --> 00:04:02,880 Speaker 1: still I had a guy show up at my my 66 00:04:02,960 --> 00:04:08,240 Speaker 1: back door here just last week. It's still it is creepy, 67 00:04:08,280 --> 00:04:12,600 Speaker 1: but it's still going on. So I mean, in one sense, 68 00:04:12,640 --> 00:04:17,000 Speaker 1: it's like, you know, we were very very fortunate to 69 00:04:17,040 --> 00:04:19,479 Speaker 1: be able to say that we were in an hour. 70 00:04:19,920 --> 00:04:22,799 Speaker 1: Supposedly it's a classic film. It's considered a classic film. 71 00:04:22,880 --> 00:04:26,719 Speaker 1: So and I mean, the the nostalgia is so is 72 00:04:26,760 --> 00:04:29,919 Speaker 1: so kind of important and kind of it matters to 73 00:04:30,000 --> 00:04:32,960 Speaker 1: people differently now. You know, when you talk to people 74 00:04:33,000 --> 00:04:35,560 Speaker 1: and they say, oh, that was the first sort of 75 00:04:35,760 --> 00:04:38,120 Speaker 1: coming of age movie I ever saw, or my mom 76 00:04:38,160 --> 00:04:40,120 Speaker 1: didn't let me see it, but then I snuck in, 77 00:04:40,320 --> 00:04:43,359 Speaker 1: or and you know, I always get like people saying 78 00:04:43,400 --> 00:04:46,320 Speaker 1: like I was, I was so in love not with you, 79 00:04:46,960 --> 00:04:49,880 Speaker 1: with him, but that's okay, And then people coming up 80 00:04:50,000 --> 00:04:51,680 Speaker 1: or like they either in love with me or they 81 00:04:51,760 --> 00:04:53,919 Speaker 1: in love with you, and it was kind of crazy, 82 00:04:54,000 --> 00:04:57,599 Speaker 1: but it mattered to people in their lives. It totally mattered. 83 00:04:57,640 --> 00:05:02,159 Speaker 1: I did a I did a TV show in Holland, 84 00:05:03,040 --> 00:05:05,440 Speaker 1: and the producers came up to me when was a man, 85 00:05:05,480 --> 00:05:06,960 Speaker 1: when was a woman? And a a woman came up to 86 00:05:07,000 --> 00:05:09,839 Speaker 1: me and said, I knew I was straight when I 87 00:05:09,880 --> 00:05:12,279 Speaker 1: saw that movie, and the guy came up to me 88 00:05:12,279 --> 00:05:14,919 Speaker 1: and said, I knew I was gay when I saw 89 00:05:15,000 --> 00:05:19,080 Speaker 1: that movie. Equal opportunity were doing it. This is just 90 00:05:19,240 --> 00:05:23,479 Speaker 1: how the world works, you know. So yeah, do you 91 00:05:23,480 --> 00:05:25,520 Speaker 1: remember when we First of all, have you seen the movie? 92 00:05:25,560 --> 00:05:29,120 Speaker 1: Have you seen Blue Lagoon lately? Uh? Yeah, not too 93 00:05:29,160 --> 00:05:32,840 Speaker 1: long ago. People people like to watch it with me. 94 00:05:34,040 --> 00:05:36,279 Speaker 1: Which have you found that where people want you there 95 00:05:36,480 --> 00:05:41,720 Speaker 1: to watch the movie? No? Yea, look at you? Okay, No, 96 00:05:43,040 --> 00:05:48,040 Speaker 1: I can't even get hearing my voice, my little well, 97 00:05:48,080 --> 00:05:51,240 Speaker 1: I like telling the stories about like Richard Evanson where 98 00:05:51,240 --> 00:05:53,480 Speaker 1: they left him on the burning boat and all those 99 00:05:53,520 --> 00:06:01,280 Speaker 1: funny little stories. Because what stand out to you about that? Well, 100 00:06:01,320 --> 00:06:03,479 Speaker 1: first of all, it was interesting because Peter Bogart's down 101 00:06:03,520 --> 00:06:06,800 Speaker 1: in North Carolina and I had, yeah, first a d 102 00:06:07,040 --> 00:06:09,880 Speaker 1: and he said, you know, no movie was ever shot 103 00:06:09,960 --> 00:06:13,200 Speaker 1: like that before, and no movie will ever be shot 104 00:06:13,279 --> 00:06:16,239 Speaker 1: like that ever again in Hollywood. So it was really, 105 00:06:16,320 --> 00:06:19,720 Speaker 1: it was really, it was really quite a full on experience, 106 00:06:19,839 --> 00:06:22,680 Speaker 1: life experience. I always say those things and what we 107 00:06:22,760 --> 00:06:27,159 Speaker 1: experienced on that movie. He's right, never again will a 108 00:06:27,200 --> 00:06:29,880 Speaker 1: movie be made like that ever. I mean, they wouldn't, 109 00:06:29,960 --> 00:06:33,719 Speaker 1: they wouldn't be allowed no, oh gosh, no, I mean 110 00:06:33,880 --> 00:06:37,279 Speaker 1: animals were hurt in the movie. They were spearing fish 111 00:06:37,400 --> 00:06:40,080 Speaker 1: and all kinds of crazy things. Children are naked running 112 00:06:40,120 --> 00:06:42,279 Speaker 1: down the beach. I mean, it just could do that now, 113 00:06:42,320 --> 00:06:50,080 Speaker 1: but I'm taking an infant and submerging the baby underwater exactly. Gush. 114 00:06:50,160 --> 00:06:52,560 Speaker 1: And there were long hours and there was a lot 115 00:06:52,640 --> 00:06:55,880 Speaker 1: of physical stuff in that movie. I mean climbing those 116 00:06:55,880 --> 00:06:58,839 Speaker 1: coconut trees with that little lap lap on, man, I 117 00:06:58,880 --> 00:07:02,839 Speaker 1: was chafe up to no end of running over the 118 00:07:02,880 --> 00:07:06,479 Speaker 1: coral and stuff. Remember all the bug bites and the 119 00:07:06,560 --> 00:07:10,440 Speaker 1: coral cuts and all the other crazy things, the fevers 120 00:07:10,480 --> 00:07:13,200 Speaker 1: and everything that we had. It was just people don't 121 00:07:13,240 --> 00:07:15,760 Speaker 1: know any of that stuff. It's not easy. No, the 122 00:07:15,800 --> 00:07:20,200 Speaker 1: bugs were crazy, the wild crabs were crazy, the wild 123 00:07:20,240 --> 00:07:23,640 Speaker 1: horses were nuts. And then the infestation of rats that 124 00:07:23,720 --> 00:07:26,560 Speaker 1: was another one. And then the what people don't know 125 00:07:26,680 --> 00:07:31,400 Speaker 1: is that Blue Lagoon was on an island, and uh, 126 00:07:31,440 --> 00:07:34,200 Speaker 1: that was on a coral reef. And so if you 127 00:07:34,240 --> 00:07:36,800 Speaker 1: had any type of a cut of any kind, which 128 00:07:36,840 --> 00:07:40,280 Speaker 1: is all we had because we were barefoot and you know, 129 00:07:40,560 --> 00:07:44,360 Speaker 1: wearing like little strips of clothing where my hair was 130 00:07:44,400 --> 00:07:48,800 Speaker 1: taped down to my my body to cover the boobs, 131 00:07:49,120 --> 00:07:51,880 Speaker 1: which were very minimal anyway, I don't know what I 132 00:07:51,920 --> 00:07:58,440 Speaker 1: was trying to cover. Remember the buppy pads, puppy pads, 133 00:07:58,440 --> 00:08:01,560 Speaker 1: and they would stick these little sticky like flesh colored 134 00:08:01,600 --> 00:08:04,960 Speaker 1: things on my nipple because nipple was evidently where they 135 00:08:05,000 --> 00:08:09,120 Speaker 1: drew the line in this movie, which is ironic anyway. 136 00:08:09,160 --> 00:08:13,080 Speaker 1: But but if any kind of cut you had and 137 00:08:13,160 --> 00:08:17,560 Speaker 1: you went into the water, bits of the coral would 138 00:08:17,560 --> 00:08:23,160 Speaker 1: get into the cut and it would become completely infected 139 00:08:23,520 --> 00:08:28,200 Speaker 1: and ulcerated. Do you remember remember the uh Ray who 140 00:08:28,240 --> 00:08:30,320 Speaker 1: had that big hole in the back of his calf 141 00:08:30,560 --> 00:08:33,640 Speaker 1: for like three months, and we had a doctor there. 142 00:08:33,679 --> 00:08:36,920 Speaker 1: There was a and he had his little parrot. The 143 00:08:36,960 --> 00:08:43,760 Speaker 1: doctor good doctor smoke smoke pot every day. And we 144 00:08:43,840 --> 00:08:48,440 Speaker 1: were in the wild West, but on the water. Remember 145 00:08:48,480 --> 00:08:51,640 Speaker 1: I got pneumonia and in the birthing scene when I'm 146 00:08:51,679 --> 00:08:55,199 Speaker 1: supposed to be having the baby, I uncontrollably can't breathe 147 00:08:55,240 --> 00:08:58,240 Speaker 1: and I'm coughing. I'd like a coughing fit. Everyone's like, 148 00:08:58,280 --> 00:09:03,040 Speaker 1: what a great acting joy and not breathe. I just 149 00:09:03,040 --> 00:09:07,200 Speaker 1: remember in that scene where Peter was bouncing the rubber 150 00:09:07,240 --> 00:09:10,000 Speaker 1: baby up and down on the umbilical cord and snapped it. 151 00:09:11,360 --> 00:09:16,000 Speaker 1: Oh my god, snapped snapped the rubber bilical cord off 152 00:09:16,040 --> 00:09:24,200 Speaker 1: the babies. You snapped the first ever steadicam. I know. 153 00:09:24,320 --> 00:09:26,280 Speaker 1: I told that story just the other night. As a 154 00:09:26,320 --> 00:09:28,640 Speaker 1: matter of fact, I can't believe that it's so funny. Well, 155 00:09:28,640 --> 00:09:32,559 Speaker 1: you did everything. You really speared the fish, you really 156 00:09:32,600 --> 00:09:37,239 Speaker 1: climbed the trees. And we got there and they instantly 157 00:09:37,240 --> 00:09:41,000 Speaker 1: wanted us to be tanned, right, And remember they set 158 00:09:41,080 --> 00:09:44,240 Speaker 1: up those little thatched areas so that we could get 159 00:09:44,440 --> 00:09:48,360 Speaker 1: tan without tan lines, I know. And you're right next 160 00:09:48,400 --> 00:09:50,800 Speaker 1: to me in it. And that was even stranger because 161 00:09:50,800 --> 00:09:53,560 Speaker 1: you were only fourteen at the time, and I'm I'm 162 00:09:53,720 --> 00:09:57,240 Speaker 1: next to any other one, right, We weren't like looking 163 00:09:57,280 --> 00:10:00,840 Speaker 1: at each other. No, but it No, there was obviously 164 00:10:00,920 --> 00:10:03,880 Speaker 1: a wall. But it was just very strange, wasn't it? 165 00:10:03,920 --> 00:10:06,080 Speaker 1: How they how they had that set up. But I 166 00:10:06,160 --> 00:10:09,000 Speaker 1: was eighteen and and at that point in time, I 167 00:10:09,040 --> 00:10:11,880 Speaker 1: came from Rye, New York. Very conservative, the whole deal. 168 00:10:12,200 --> 00:10:15,200 Speaker 1: I'll never forget. Randall asked me on the plane. Randall's 169 00:10:15,240 --> 00:10:17,440 Speaker 1: the director, just so everybody knows, but he asked me 170 00:10:17,440 --> 00:10:19,640 Speaker 1: on the plane, what do I think about being naked 171 00:10:19,800 --> 00:10:23,280 Speaker 1: because and I, you know, I had no idea. I'd 172 00:10:23,280 --> 00:10:28,240 Speaker 1: never naked in front of people before, you know, so 173 00:10:28,360 --> 00:10:30,719 Speaker 1: I had no idea. I said, well, we'll just find out, 174 00:10:30,800 --> 00:10:35,600 Speaker 1: I guess, and that was yes, and he had. I 175 00:10:35,600 --> 00:10:38,040 Speaker 1: think he was probably scared to death because it was 176 00:10:38,120 --> 00:10:40,360 Speaker 1: so important to him and the movie at that point 177 00:10:40,360 --> 00:10:43,320 Speaker 1: in time, because it was obviously two innocent kids who 178 00:10:43,800 --> 00:10:45,920 Speaker 1: that shouldn't be an issue. I mean, but it was 179 00:10:46,000 --> 00:10:49,280 Speaker 1: never really, we were never eased into it, you know 180 00:10:49,320 --> 00:10:51,880 Speaker 1: what I mean, Like, well, no, go get a tan. 181 00:10:52,080 --> 00:10:54,160 Speaker 1: You have to have a full body tan. So that 182 00:10:54,200 --> 00:10:55,720 Speaker 1: was the first time, even though I was in that 183 00:10:55,800 --> 00:11:02,440 Speaker 1: little cubicle of Fijian hut basically open to the sky, 184 00:11:02,520 --> 00:11:05,760 Speaker 1: that they could get some sun in and uh, and 185 00:11:06,160 --> 00:11:10,040 Speaker 1: he wanted that full on tan. What I remember, too, 186 00:11:10,080 --> 00:11:13,520 Speaker 1: is that they wanted us so desperately to fall in 187 00:11:13,559 --> 00:11:17,440 Speaker 1: love with each other. Yeah, yeah, yeah, Well you were 188 00:11:17,440 --> 00:11:19,800 Speaker 1: also just fourteen. I was eighteen at the time, So 189 00:11:20,080 --> 00:11:23,000 Speaker 1: that's a world of difference. It is a world of 190 00:11:23,000 --> 00:11:25,280 Speaker 1: different You were just growing up. I mean, my gosh. 191 00:11:25,640 --> 00:11:28,280 Speaker 1: Although I was dating Cindy at the time, and Cindy 192 00:11:28,360 --> 00:11:31,480 Speaker 1: was fifteen when I was dating her, It also struck 193 00:11:31,520 --> 00:11:35,760 Speaker 1: me though, too, because I remember thinking, Hey, let's just 194 00:11:35,840 --> 00:11:38,560 Speaker 1: get to know each other first, rather than trying to 195 00:11:38,760 --> 00:11:42,520 Speaker 1: make us fall in love with each other and force 196 00:11:42,640 --> 00:11:45,400 Speaker 1: the situation. And I did not react well to being 197 00:11:45,440 --> 00:11:49,640 Speaker 1: forced into feeling anything. I wanted to sort of be left, 198 00:11:50,360 --> 00:11:52,480 Speaker 1: left a little bit left to my own. But I 199 00:11:52,520 --> 00:11:54,960 Speaker 1: also was you know, I don't think I hadn't even 200 00:11:55,559 --> 00:11:59,600 Speaker 1: kissed anybody really by that age, you know, which was 201 00:11:59,679 --> 00:12:02,680 Speaker 1: pro probably great for the film because that's what it 202 00:12:02,760 --> 00:12:06,800 Speaker 1: was all about, and that you have to admit. The 203 00:12:06,920 --> 00:12:11,439 Speaker 1: chemistry between us was just amazing. There was a lot 204 00:12:11,480 --> 00:12:15,040 Speaker 1: of great, great moments that went on there and and 205 00:12:15,080 --> 00:12:17,240 Speaker 1: I and I think it was a lot of that 206 00:12:17,400 --> 00:12:20,319 Speaker 1: innocence that really came off in the film that made 207 00:12:20,320 --> 00:12:31,400 Speaker 1: it work even more. M You didn't know that you 208 00:12:31,440 --> 00:12:33,480 Speaker 1: wanted to be an actor, did you. I mean we 209 00:12:33,480 --> 00:12:35,319 Speaker 1: were not when we met. You were like, I want 210 00:12:35,360 --> 00:12:37,920 Speaker 1: to go into sports medicine. You wanted to be a 211 00:12:37,920 --> 00:12:41,520 Speaker 1: baseball player. Then what how did that happen? Well, you 212 00:12:41,640 --> 00:12:43,920 Speaker 1: taught me everything on the island. I had no idea 213 00:12:43,960 --> 00:12:46,120 Speaker 1: what even a camera looked like. I didn't know what 214 00:12:46,160 --> 00:12:47,960 Speaker 1: was going on. And yeah, I wanted to go into 215 00:12:48,000 --> 00:12:50,280 Speaker 1: sports medicine. I had all those knee operations, so I 216 00:12:50,320 --> 00:12:52,160 Speaker 1: got taken out of baseball. But I did find out 217 00:12:52,240 --> 00:12:55,719 Speaker 1: years later through my son that hitting coach who's not 218 00:12:55,840 --> 00:12:58,280 Speaker 1: a hitting coach to the Dodgers, I found out through 219 00:12:58,360 --> 00:13:00,400 Speaker 1: him that the Phillies were going to draft me, which 220 00:13:00,440 --> 00:13:02,520 Speaker 1: was I said to my son, Look, I told you, 221 00:13:02,520 --> 00:13:05,160 Speaker 1: I knew what I was talking about, and that was 222 00:13:05,280 --> 00:13:08,720 Speaker 1: kind of a good moment. But life had different, different 223 00:13:08,760 --> 00:13:11,360 Speaker 1: changes opportunities. Well, we we call I call the show 224 00:13:11,440 --> 00:13:13,920 Speaker 1: now What, because I think throughout our lives we have 225 00:13:14,040 --> 00:13:16,720 Speaker 1: multiple now what moments where we really are faced with 226 00:13:16,800 --> 00:13:19,120 Speaker 1: something and you said something, just to go back a 227 00:13:19,160 --> 00:13:22,199 Speaker 1: little bit, you wanted to be a baseball player, all 228 00:13:22,240 --> 00:13:24,720 Speaker 1: of a sudden you have to have these surgeries, and 229 00:13:24,800 --> 00:13:28,360 Speaker 1: does that end your baseball career? Yes, it did. I 230 00:13:28,360 --> 00:13:31,199 Speaker 1: mean after all those surgeries, I got a lot of 231 00:13:31,440 --> 00:13:35,680 Speaker 1: They really the sports medical doctors and Massachusetts really put 232 00:13:35,720 --> 00:13:37,560 Speaker 1: me together. Well. But I was going to go into 233 00:13:37,600 --> 00:13:40,559 Speaker 1: sports medicine and going to go to Dennis In University 234 00:13:40,559 --> 00:13:42,959 Speaker 1: in Ohio and looking forward to all of that to 235 00:13:43,120 --> 00:13:45,800 Speaker 1: suddenly being on an island for four and a half 236 00:13:45,920 --> 00:13:50,920 Speaker 1: months shooting that movie and completely changing my entire life. 237 00:13:51,120 --> 00:13:53,840 Speaker 1: Were there any other now what moments that were prior 238 00:13:53,920 --> 00:13:56,360 Speaker 1: to that? So I always think of things like free 239 00:13:56,360 --> 00:14:05,240 Speaker 1: blue lagoon, post blue lagoon, it's like and peace blue lagoon. Um, well, 240 00:14:05,840 --> 00:14:09,400 Speaker 1: mom remarried, so that was and now what with a stepfather, 241 00:14:09,440 --> 00:14:11,280 Speaker 1: And that turned out to be the greatest gift of 242 00:14:11,280 --> 00:14:14,080 Speaker 1: our lives was my stepfather. I don't know if you remember. 243 00:14:14,120 --> 00:14:16,280 Speaker 1: We went out on his boat and did all that 244 00:14:16,320 --> 00:14:19,720 Speaker 1: shoot on that That was fun back then, but he 245 00:14:19,800 --> 00:14:22,280 Speaker 1: turned out to be just a really special man in 246 00:14:22,320 --> 00:14:26,280 Speaker 1: our lives. So we were really really lucky and blessed 247 00:14:26,280 --> 00:14:28,040 Speaker 1: to have him or other I mean, he really instilled 248 00:14:28,080 --> 00:14:29,880 Speaker 1: family and all. As a matter of fact, my my 249 00:14:30,160 --> 00:14:32,840 Speaker 1: real father actually said to me one day, he said, 250 00:14:32,840 --> 00:14:34,280 Speaker 1: I don't know if I could have done as good 251 00:14:34,320 --> 00:14:36,840 Speaker 1: a job, and that was that was big for him 252 00:14:36,880 --> 00:14:39,120 Speaker 1: to say. Yeah, So, I mean that was a now 253 00:14:39,120 --> 00:14:42,920 Speaker 1: what moment. Getting married was a now what moment because 254 00:14:43,480 --> 00:14:46,120 Speaker 1: the dress was getting tighter as she was walking down 255 00:14:46,120 --> 00:14:50,680 Speaker 1: the aisle. So there that was a huge now what 256 00:14:50,840 --> 00:14:55,240 Speaker 1: moment at twenty four years old and whacked down in 257 00:14:55,280 --> 00:14:57,200 Speaker 1: my head at that point in time in my life. 258 00:14:58,200 --> 00:15:02,680 Speaker 1: So yeah, oh yeah, did you auditioned for the movie, right, Yeah, 259 00:15:02,720 --> 00:15:04,440 Speaker 1: I'm never auditioned for a movie in my life. And 260 00:15:04,800 --> 00:15:07,920 Speaker 1: I just got this call to go in and an audition, 261 00:15:08,040 --> 00:15:10,440 Speaker 1: and I did, and then they called me back, and 262 00:15:10,440 --> 00:15:11,800 Speaker 1: they called me back, and they called me back, and 263 00:15:11,840 --> 00:15:14,640 Speaker 1: this was over the wintertime, and then I didn't hear 264 00:15:14,680 --> 00:15:17,680 Speaker 1: from from like for like two months. I was just 265 00:15:17,800 --> 00:15:20,440 Speaker 1: excited to say that, oh, when that movie comes out. 266 00:15:20,480 --> 00:15:23,160 Speaker 1: I auditioned for that movie. I remember reading those lines, 267 00:15:23,200 --> 00:15:24,400 Speaker 1: you know, that kind of thing. I thought that was 268 00:15:24,400 --> 00:15:26,240 Speaker 1: gonna be kind of fun. Never in a million years 269 00:15:26,240 --> 00:15:27,880 Speaker 1: I ever thought I was going to get the picture. 270 00:15:28,760 --> 00:15:31,320 Speaker 1: And then of course it's not just getting a movie, 271 00:15:31,520 --> 00:15:34,840 Speaker 1: it's you got to run around naked. Did you ever 272 00:15:34,880 --> 00:15:36,840 Speaker 1: feel Yeah, very much so, as a matter of fact, 273 00:15:36,880 --> 00:15:40,160 Speaker 1: I said no. Well, when I went in two months later, 274 00:15:40,200 --> 00:15:41,960 Speaker 1: he called me up and he said, look, we haven't 275 00:15:41,960 --> 00:15:44,000 Speaker 1: found the person yet. We want to see you again. 276 00:15:44,000 --> 00:15:46,120 Speaker 1: And I said, aren't you supposed to be filming this movie. 277 00:15:46,160 --> 00:15:49,520 Speaker 1: By this time, though, I had had a tan from 278 00:15:49,520 --> 00:15:53,000 Speaker 1: being down at the yacht club, so having this tan 279 00:15:53,280 --> 00:15:55,560 Speaker 1: really made a difference for him. And I also was 280 00:15:55,600 --> 00:15:59,600 Speaker 1: a scuba diver because uh, and he liked that a 281 00:15:59,640 --> 00:16:05,240 Speaker 1: lot also because I were obviously underwater a lot. So um. Yeah. 282 00:16:05,280 --> 00:16:07,840 Speaker 1: Two months later he called me up and Julie Warner 283 00:16:08,080 --> 00:16:10,480 Speaker 1: remember Julie. Julie was the one audition when he wanted 284 00:16:10,520 --> 00:16:14,560 Speaker 1: me to bring a blonde curly wig in. I said yeah, 285 00:16:14,600 --> 00:16:18,360 Speaker 1: and I said, I said, excuse me, He said, yeah, 286 00:16:18,400 --> 00:16:22,440 Speaker 1: can you bring a blonde curly wig? I said, I 287 00:16:22,480 --> 00:16:23,920 Speaker 1: was just gonna say I got a lot of them, 288 00:16:24,040 --> 00:16:30,320 Speaker 1: not a problem. So Mom actually had something and I 289 00:16:30,440 --> 00:16:33,520 Speaker 1: brought this thing in. They curled it up and had 290 00:16:33,560 --> 00:16:36,600 Speaker 1: me audition again. And then the next thing I know 291 00:16:36,680 --> 00:16:38,480 Speaker 1: is it was like two or three days later they 292 00:16:38,480 --> 00:16:39,960 Speaker 1: called me up and said I had the part, and 293 00:16:39,960 --> 00:16:42,520 Speaker 1: I said no. Back then it was a four million 294 00:16:42,520 --> 00:16:44,480 Speaker 1: dollar picture or something. I don't want two million dollars 295 00:16:44,520 --> 00:16:46,280 Speaker 1: in my head. I don't know what I'm doing. And 296 00:16:46,320 --> 00:16:48,320 Speaker 1: then and I said, and I'm late for a softball 297 00:16:48,360 --> 00:16:52,600 Speaker 1: game at Ford. I had to take the train. But 298 00:16:52,640 --> 00:16:57,040 Speaker 1: then then they convince you, or yeah, they convinced me. 299 00:16:57,080 --> 00:16:58,680 Speaker 1: And I had a long talk with Mom about it 300 00:16:58,720 --> 00:17:03,880 Speaker 1: because which big well. She she said to me said, Chris, look, 301 00:17:03,960 --> 00:17:06,920 Speaker 1: you know, if you don't ever have to do it again, 302 00:17:06,960 --> 00:17:08,720 Speaker 1: if you don't want to and I was supposed to 303 00:17:08,720 --> 00:17:12,920 Speaker 1: be back in time to go to college. So I, uh, 304 00:17:12,960 --> 00:17:14,879 Speaker 1: that wasn't going to be a problem. But unfortunately we 305 00:17:15,160 --> 00:17:20,080 Speaker 1: weren't um or fortunately one or the other. But uh, yeah, 306 00:17:20,119 --> 00:17:22,320 Speaker 1: So when I talked to mom about it, and I 307 00:17:22,359 --> 00:17:25,360 Speaker 1: talked to the casting directors about it, and they said, look, 308 00:17:25,400 --> 00:17:26,960 Speaker 1: they wouldn't have cast you if they didn't think you 309 00:17:26,960 --> 00:17:31,479 Speaker 1: could do it. So I said, all right, well, I 310 00:17:31,520 --> 00:17:34,680 Speaker 1: love how important our moms were in in this period 311 00:17:34,920 --> 00:17:38,600 Speaker 1: of time. UM, and your mom had no reservations about 312 00:17:38,600 --> 00:17:42,080 Speaker 1: the storyline, right, you know, she didn't. And it was 313 00:17:42,160 --> 00:17:44,359 Speaker 1: funny because at the premiere she said, well I hadn't 314 00:17:44,359 --> 00:17:48,800 Speaker 1: seen that in a long time. She read the script. 315 00:17:49,720 --> 00:17:51,520 Speaker 1: You know, I don't even know if she did, or, 316 00:17:51,960 --> 00:17:54,760 Speaker 1: to be honest with you, I have no idea. Oh 317 00:17:54,800 --> 00:17:57,040 Speaker 1: my god, that's a good question. I should ask her 318 00:18:00,160 --> 00:18:01,960 Speaker 1: what did you get me into? But you know, my 319 00:18:02,080 --> 00:18:04,960 Speaker 1: mom built she as you know, like my mom was 320 00:18:05,520 --> 00:18:08,800 Speaker 1: for years, I mean, built such a strong cocoon around 321 00:18:08,880 --> 00:18:12,359 Speaker 1: me and such a such a layer of um protection. 322 00:18:12,840 --> 00:18:16,880 Speaker 1: And yet she was also she you know, asked you 323 00:18:17,000 --> 00:18:20,399 Speaker 1: to come and live in ourbury. Yes, what do you 324 00:18:20,440 --> 00:18:25,040 Speaker 1: remember about that? Because she's quoted as saying something like, um, 325 00:18:25,080 --> 00:18:26,800 Speaker 1: you know, I wanted them to get to know each other, 326 00:18:26,920 --> 00:18:29,520 Speaker 1: so the best way would be for us to live 327 00:18:29,560 --> 00:18:33,040 Speaker 1: in the same you know house, a little hut. And 328 00:18:33,440 --> 00:18:37,359 Speaker 1: it shocked me that she ended up suggesting that she 329 00:18:37,520 --> 00:18:41,160 Speaker 1: wanted me to come because she basically wanted you out 330 00:18:41,160 --> 00:18:44,000 Speaker 1: of horses and into boys type of thing, and you 331 00:18:44,080 --> 00:18:47,159 Speaker 1: were really into your horses back then, and and for 332 00:18:47,200 --> 00:18:53,240 Speaker 1: the movie's sake, she wanted us to be closer together 333 00:18:53,520 --> 00:18:58,320 Speaker 1: and and be near each other and be able to 334 00:18:58,359 --> 00:19:02,560 Speaker 1: have that whether it's the brother and sister or whether 335 00:19:02,640 --> 00:19:06,520 Speaker 1: it's the love story or whatever that was going on. 336 00:19:06,600 --> 00:19:12,239 Speaker 1: I'm sure she would have liked or was pushing for 337 00:19:12,400 --> 00:19:16,040 Speaker 1: more of the boyfriend girlfriend relationship. Okay, but at the 338 00:19:16,080 --> 00:19:18,440 Speaker 1: same time, you were fourteen. I mean, that's that's even 339 00:19:18,800 --> 00:19:21,040 Speaker 1: I mean, I'm stuck between a rock and hard place 340 00:19:21,080 --> 00:19:30,359 Speaker 1: here about that you're gonna We never talked about this. 341 00:19:31,160 --> 00:19:33,800 Speaker 1: That's a crazy position to put you in. The only 342 00:19:33,840 --> 00:19:39,960 Speaker 1: thing I knew was that, uh, you were the closest 343 00:19:40,080 --> 00:19:42,639 Speaker 1: person to my age at the time. I mean, like 344 00:19:42,680 --> 00:19:45,280 Speaker 1: I said, I was, I was eighteen and I basically 345 00:19:45,480 --> 00:19:51,240 Speaker 1: just turned eighteen when we went out there. So um. 346 00:19:51,280 --> 00:19:53,960 Speaker 1: And like I had also said, I had missed so 347 00:19:54,040 --> 00:19:57,760 Speaker 1: much school because of the knee surgeries. I went to 348 00:19:57,800 --> 00:20:01,000 Speaker 1: three different high schools. I missed a whole bunch of 349 00:20:02,040 --> 00:20:06,399 Speaker 1: myself of having a girlfriend through the high school period. 350 00:20:06,440 --> 00:20:08,199 Speaker 1: It wasn't until the very very end when I was 351 00:20:08,440 --> 00:20:11,800 Speaker 1: modeling it forward where that Cindy and that that lasted 352 00:20:11,840 --> 00:20:15,200 Speaker 1: for a while. But so it was a whole new 353 00:20:16,200 --> 00:20:18,879 Speaker 1: coming of age experience for me also on the island. 354 00:20:18,960 --> 00:20:22,200 Speaker 1: So yeah, of course I was very attracted to you 355 00:20:22,280 --> 00:20:26,720 Speaker 1: because you were so smart, you were so kind and nice, 356 00:20:26,880 --> 00:20:30,440 Speaker 1: and then at the same time you would also tell 357 00:20:30,480 --> 00:20:34,560 Speaker 1: me you would you would say it like it is, 358 00:20:35,160 --> 00:20:38,679 Speaker 1: which is great, you know, I mean, okay, explain that 359 00:20:38,720 --> 00:20:42,520 Speaker 1: a little bit, because well, I I don't know, you know, 360 00:20:42,640 --> 00:20:44,879 Speaker 1: sometimes I wonder if it was your mom's influence or 361 00:20:44,920 --> 00:20:46,560 Speaker 1: something that was going on every once in a while. 362 00:20:46,600 --> 00:20:48,520 Speaker 1: But yeah, were a little We had a little cat 363 00:20:48,600 --> 00:20:52,919 Speaker 1: fights now and it were stupid ship. But you know, 364 00:20:53,000 --> 00:20:56,560 Speaker 1: I enjoyed the times that we did collect shells on 365 00:20:56,600 --> 00:20:59,160 Speaker 1: the beach and you would tell me your your Tatum 366 00:20:59,160 --> 00:21:03,520 Speaker 1: O'Neil store and and black velvet or whatever. I remember 367 00:21:03,560 --> 00:21:07,000 Speaker 1: you were telling me something about wanting a part so bad, 368 00:21:07,040 --> 00:21:09,440 Speaker 1: and all of these things. I had no idea what 369 00:21:09,480 --> 00:21:11,680 Speaker 1: I was doing, what I was going through in this 370 00:21:11,760 --> 00:21:14,639 Speaker 1: movie and all of this kind of stuff, And and 371 00:21:14,720 --> 00:21:18,120 Speaker 1: you made it, honestly made it so easy for me 372 00:21:18,200 --> 00:21:23,560 Speaker 1: and so nice in the way that we we did 373 00:21:23,640 --> 00:21:35,080 Speaker 1: get to work together in a in a very short 374 00:21:35,119 --> 00:21:39,280 Speaker 1: amount of time. You've had massive, massive experiences back to back, right, 375 00:21:39,680 --> 00:21:42,879 Speaker 1: so that happens you're all of a sudden your world 376 00:21:42,960 --> 00:21:49,359 Speaker 1: shifts practically overnight. Yeah, how do you handle that? You know? 377 00:21:49,480 --> 00:21:53,960 Speaker 1: I I don't think anybody can handle it. Well. I 378 00:21:54,000 --> 00:21:57,199 Speaker 1: mean it literally, like you said, it was just overwhelming. Uh, 379 00:21:57,480 --> 00:22:00,440 Speaker 1: I mean I just was sent all over the world. 380 00:22:00,600 --> 00:22:05,840 Speaker 1: I was doing uh, parties and interviews and all kinds 381 00:22:05,880 --> 00:22:08,840 Speaker 1: of stuff everywhere, And there wasn't a place I could 382 00:22:08,920 --> 00:22:13,040 Speaker 1: go that people didn't stop. You and I were on 383 00:22:13,560 --> 00:22:19,680 Speaker 1: every single solitary talk show that there possibly was. Um, 384 00:22:19,720 --> 00:22:24,080 Speaker 1: I mean it was absolutely insane. So as much as 385 00:22:24,080 --> 00:22:27,480 Speaker 1: I think that I wanted to be me and keep myself, 386 00:22:28,000 --> 00:22:32,440 Speaker 1: the surroundings of it all were just impossible to not 387 00:22:33,359 --> 00:22:37,000 Speaker 1: be overwhelming to anybody that was around us. I mean 388 00:22:38,520 --> 00:22:41,440 Speaker 1: anywhere I went to shopping or or just to hang 389 00:22:41,480 --> 00:22:44,159 Speaker 1: out with my friends. I was constantly stopped and you 390 00:22:44,200 --> 00:22:45,840 Speaker 1: guys used to yell at me all the time because 391 00:22:45,840 --> 00:22:50,600 Speaker 1: I'd signed everybody's freaking autograph and were like, Chris, just right, 392 00:22:50,720 --> 00:22:53,919 Speaker 1: love and let's go meet you on the sidebo I 393 00:22:53,960 --> 00:22:58,800 Speaker 1: hope you made a good purchase. Good luck with your family, Chris. 394 00:22:59,040 --> 00:23:02,560 Speaker 1: Can we get out of here please? Um. But now 395 00:23:02,600 --> 00:23:05,760 Speaker 1: then there were some there were some setbacks and some 396 00:23:05,840 --> 00:23:09,840 Speaker 1: difficult things that really also threw you for a loop. 397 00:23:10,080 --> 00:23:13,920 Speaker 1: Are you talking about sobriety that there you had a manager? 398 00:23:13,960 --> 00:23:19,600 Speaker 1: I believe that too, did not treat you well. And yeah, yeah, 399 00:23:19,680 --> 00:23:22,800 Speaker 1: I had, Yeah, I had a lot. Yeah, the whole 400 00:23:22,840 --> 00:23:25,639 Speaker 1: Hollywood thing actually hit me right between the eyes and 401 00:23:25,720 --> 00:23:30,400 Speaker 1: I ended up having a business manager steal every single time, 402 00:23:30,560 --> 00:23:33,480 Speaker 1: me and Tom Hanks and Donna Mills and all kinds 403 00:23:33,520 --> 00:23:37,280 Speaker 1: of people. And so they left me with one kid 404 00:23:37,480 --> 00:23:42,440 Speaker 1: one on the way and like two dollars and the 405 00:23:42,840 --> 00:23:44,679 Speaker 1: bank had to call us in. I'll never forget. And 406 00:23:44,680 --> 00:23:46,399 Speaker 1: I think that was part of the downfall to my 407 00:23:46,480 --> 00:23:48,440 Speaker 1: marriage at that time too, because it was just so 408 00:23:48,520 --> 00:23:52,520 Speaker 1: devastating that everything was gone. So yeah, so that was 409 00:23:52,560 --> 00:23:55,760 Speaker 1: really tough. Went through bankruptcy, did all of that. I mean, 410 00:23:55,800 --> 00:23:58,119 Speaker 1: it was awful. It was really really awful. How did 411 00:23:58,200 --> 00:24:00,159 Speaker 1: you what did you do? Like? What did you what 412 00:24:00,280 --> 00:24:02,840 Speaker 1: did you turn to? How did you get through it? 413 00:24:02,840 --> 00:24:06,280 Speaker 1: It just uh, well, And then, like I said, then 414 00:24:06,440 --> 00:24:08,359 Speaker 1: I was twenty four years old, I had a son, 415 00:24:08,520 --> 00:24:12,280 Speaker 1: I had one on the way, and I was partying 416 00:24:12,359 --> 00:24:16,159 Speaker 1: up a storm, um trying to cope and deal with 417 00:24:16,160 --> 00:24:18,240 Speaker 1: it at that point in time. And then, uh, and 418 00:24:18,280 --> 00:24:20,520 Speaker 1: I'll get into this because I know it's always something 419 00:24:20,520 --> 00:24:22,280 Speaker 1: that comes up and it's kind of important and that 420 00:24:22,560 --> 00:24:26,320 Speaker 1: and especially I know in your life. And what I 421 00:24:26,359 --> 00:24:30,840 Speaker 1: wasn't rye for Christmas and went out and drank up 422 00:24:30,840 --> 00:24:33,240 Speaker 1: a storm, came back and had another fight and the 423 00:24:33,280 --> 00:24:35,600 Speaker 1: whole thing. And the next morning my parents called me 424 00:24:35,600 --> 00:24:37,920 Speaker 1: down and said, we want you to leave. You're disrupting 425 00:24:37,960 --> 00:24:40,480 Speaker 1: the household. And it's we don't want you, we w 426 00:24:40,520 --> 00:24:42,560 Speaker 1: don't we don't want you here right now. And that 427 00:24:42,720 --> 00:24:45,000 Speaker 1: just was the straw that broke the camel's back. Everything 428 00:24:45,040 --> 00:24:47,480 Speaker 1: that could possibly have gone wrong in my life went 429 00:24:47,560 --> 00:24:52,360 Speaker 1: wrong except for the having my my son, and uh, 430 00:24:52,440 --> 00:24:55,280 Speaker 1: and I just broke down. And so I went to 431 00:24:55,359 --> 00:24:57,879 Speaker 1: a rehab and I was in a rehab for twenty 432 00:24:57,920 --> 00:25:00,760 Speaker 1: eight days in Harrison, New York, and I think I 433 00:25:00,800 --> 00:25:03,480 Speaker 1: was the only person to this day, I'm still sober. 434 00:25:03,560 --> 00:25:07,720 Speaker 1: So it's almost thirty thirty six years. Yeah, And I 435 00:25:07,800 --> 00:25:09,480 Speaker 1: just think this is important because you never know, you know, 436 00:25:09,520 --> 00:25:11,320 Speaker 1: I did it because I wanted to be a dad 437 00:25:11,359 --> 00:25:12,920 Speaker 1: more than I wanted to be a drunk. I mean, 438 00:25:13,000 --> 00:25:14,800 Speaker 1: it just came down to that. As you know, I 439 00:25:14,800 --> 00:25:17,239 Speaker 1: always wanted to be a dad, and it just for 440 00:25:17,280 --> 00:25:19,760 Speaker 1: some reason I was lucky enough to grasp onto the program. 441 00:25:19,760 --> 00:25:21,200 Speaker 1: I mean, to this day, I still go to meetings 442 00:25:21,280 --> 00:25:25,000 Speaker 1: three times a week and do all that. Um. But 443 00:25:25,080 --> 00:25:27,919 Speaker 1: the point was was really interesting, as I'll never forget. 444 00:25:27,920 --> 00:25:30,440 Speaker 1: When I was thirty years sober, we had a big 445 00:25:30,520 --> 00:25:33,119 Speaker 1: Christmas party here in Fairfield at my sister's house, and 446 00:25:33,160 --> 00:25:35,439 Speaker 1: the whole family, my kids and everybody were there. And 447 00:25:35,480 --> 00:25:38,600 Speaker 1: my son calls me into the dining room and the 448 00:25:38,640 --> 00:25:42,320 Speaker 1: whole family is in there, and I just thought we 449 00:25:42,320 --> 00:25:44,359 Speaker 1: were going to have dessert. And he gets up in 450 00:25:44,359 --> 00:25:46,880 Speaker 1: front of the whole family and makes a speech about 451 00:25:47,480 --> 00:25:50,400 Speaker 1: how proud he was of me for having thirty years 452 00:25:50,400 --> 00:25:52,879 Speaker 1: of sobriety and what it meant to him and his 453 00:25:53,080 --> 00:25:56,760 Speaker 1: sister all of those years to have a dad. Oh 454 00:25:56,840 --> 00:26:00,920 Speaker 1: my god, Now that was one of your moments that 455 00:26:01,400 --> 00:26:08,920 Speaker 1: you never I never realized that that they recognized that 456 00:26:09,080 --> 00:26:12,720 Speaker 1: I just was a dad. But I wasn't up and 457 00:26:12,800 --> 00:26:15,560 Speaker 1: down emotionally. I was. I was just a dad through 458 00:26:15,600 --> 00:26:17,720 Speaker 1: that whole thing, which I when I look back on, 459 00:26:17,760 --> 00:26:19,960 Speaker 1: I was very grateful for and you and hadn't like 460 00:26:20,000 --> 00:26:23,639 Speaker 1: nobody had done an intervention before, like your parents just 461 00:26:23,720 --> 00:26:25,919 Speaker 1: that wasn't even an intervention. Did they just say they 462 00:26:25,960 --> 00:26:27,439 Speaker 1: just don't want you in the house or was it 463 00:26:27,640 --> 00:26:31,280 Speaker 1: because it wasn't a formal intervention. No, they just my 464 00:26:31,320 --> 00:26:33,920 Speaker 1: mom basically did what what you're supposed to do is 465 00:26:34,000 --> 00:26:37,600 Speaker 1: release you would love I mean she but we're such 466 00:26:37,600 --> 00:26:40,480 Speaker 1: a tight family as you if you remember that, you know, 467 00:26:40,480 --> 00:26:43,080 Speaker 1: I've got great parents and great brothers and sister and 468 00:26:43,680 --> 00:26:47,520 Speaker 1: the whole thing. So that's what really hurt more than anything, 469 00:26:47,680 --> 00:26:50,480 Speaker 1: was that I was just this bad person. And it 470 00:26:50,520 --> 00:26:53,840 Speaker 1: really wasn't a bad person. You were just you were 471 00:26:53,920 --> 00:26:57,000 Speaker 1: an addict and it got the better of you. I mean, 472 00:26:57,359 --> 00:27:00,359 Speaker 1: thank god, did you have Did you lean on those 473 00:27:00,359 --> 00:27:02,560 Speaker 1: people and all those people in your life? Is it 474 00:27:02,640 --> 00:27:04,920 Speaker 1: just your family who you were able to really lean 475 00:27:04,960 --> 00:27:10,040 Speaker 1: on during that time, well, my family was phenomenal. Because 476 00:27:10,080 --> 00:27:12,760 Speaker 1: I was still going through a whole lot of the 477 00:27:12,800 --> 00:27:15,360 Speaker 1: other crap with the business manager and everything else. I 478 00:27:15,400 --> 00:27:18,440 Speaker 1: had a lot of weight on my shoulders and I 479 00:27:18,880 --> 00:27:22,040 Speaker 1: just had to learn to just have faith. I mean, 480 00:27:22,080 --> 00:27:25,200 Speaker 1: it really comes down to faith, you know, believing that 481 00:27:25,200 --> 00:27:29,720 Speaker 1: that there's just more. And what that more is is 482 00:27:30,160 --> 00:27:32,520 Speaker 1: if I if I hunt for it, it will never come. 483 00:27:32,560 --> 00:27:34,879 Speaker 1: But if I let it happen, it comes abundantly. And 484 00:27:34,920 --> 00:27:36,480 Speaker 1: that's just one of the things that I had to 485 00:27:37,000 --> 00:27:40,600 Speaker 1: learn and to stay in the moment. And and yeah, 486 00:27:40,720 --> 00:27:43,119 Speaker 1: I like I said, I'm very big on the program. 487 00:27:43,160 --> 00:27:45,840 Speaker 1: I still go three times a week, so I through 488 00:27:45,880 --> 00:27:49,840 Speaker 1: everything at that. I listen, I've been a c O 489 00:27:49,960 --> 00:27:53,280 Speaker 1: A and alan on and all of that for on 490 00:27:53,400 --> 00:27:57,600 Speaker 1: and off for decades. Um. My mother never was able 491 00:27:57,720 --> 00:28:01,119 Speaker 1: to succeed in the program. I tried. I tried to 492 00:28:01,119 --> 00:28:03,040 Speaker 1: get her to go with me. I tried to get 493 00:28:03,040 --> 00:28:07,399 Speaker 1: her to go with me over it didn't. She's you know, 494 00:28:07,440 --> 00:28:10,480 Speaker 1: and I'll never forget this, and and I hope it 495 00:28:10,520 --> 00:28:14,480 Speaker 1: doesn't hurt you at all, but I'll never forget. When 496 00:28:14,520 --> 00:28:16,879 Speaker 1: I said to her, I said, look, I'm sober. I'm going, 497 00:28:17,040 --> 00:28:19,080 Speaker 1: you know, you know, let's go together, we can do 498 00:28:19,119 --> 00:28:21,680 Speaker 1: this and all this, and she just flat out said no, 499 00:28:22,000 --> 00:28:26,000 Speaker 1: because she will get recognized and somebody will write about 500 00:28:26,119 --> 00:28:28,560 Speaker 1: it and all of this sort of stuff. And I'll 501 00:28:28,600 --> 00:28:31,400 Speaker 1: never forget when I went into the rehab and this 502 00:28:31,480 --> 00:28:35,119 Speaker 1: is this nurse man, Pat, old bad Pat Man. She 503 00:28:35,200 --> 00:28:37,600 Speaker 1: came in there and I had a giant's hat on 504 00:28:37,640 --> 00:28:41,240 Speaker 1: and some magazines when I went into rehab and old 505 00:28:41,240 --> 00:28:43,680 Speaker 1: Pat comes in there, boy, and she took that hat 506 00:28:43,720 --> 00:28:46,160 Speaker 1: off and she goes, you ain't in here for that, 507 00:28:46,680 --> 00:28:49,040 Speaker 1: and I went, whoa, whoa, whoa, that's my hat. And 508 00:28:49,120 --> 00:28:51,920 Speaker 1: she took the magazine's you ain't in here for this either, 509 00:28:52,280 --> 00:28:55,040 Speaker 1: and I went, what are you kidding? And this woman 510 00:28:55,640 --> 00:28:59,640 Speaker 1: pulled those humility pegs out of me, you know, and 511 00:28:59,640 --> 00:29:04,160 Speaker 1: and and I too was worried about and this is 512 00:29:04,240 --> 00:29:07,640 Speaker 1: before him. I'm I was worried about, Well, the press 513 00:29:07,680 --> 00:29:09,960 Speaker 1: is gonna get it or they're gonna it's gonna get out. 514 00:29:10,040 --> 00:29:12,880 Speaker 1: And I was definitely worried about how people would perceive 515 00:29:12,960 --> 00:29:17,600 Speaker 1: me as this drunk or this this terrible gutter kind 516 00:29:17,600 --> 00:29:19,840 Speaker 1: of person. At all they ruined is like all that 517 00:29:20,000 --> 00:29:22,520 Speaker 1: negativity in my head, and I'll never forget. One of 518 00:29:22,560 --> 00:29:27,320 Speaker 1: my biggest moments was they took us to outside meetings 519 00:29:27,400 --> 00:29:32,360 Speaker 1: from the rehab. We went to this church and I'm like, no, 520 00:29:32,480 --> 00:29:35,360 Speaker 1: not ry, I'm gonna see somebody I know and all 521 00:29:35,400 --> 00:29:37,840 Speaker 1: those negative thoughts are gonna think all these terrible things 522 00:29:37,880 --> 00:29:40,120 Speaker 1: of me and all this. Sure enough, I go in 523 00:29:40,160 --> 00:29:43,480 Speaker 1: there and here's this guy that was my baseball coach 524 00:29:43,520 --> 00:29:46,120 Speaker 1: and everything. And he sees me and he goes, hey, Chris, 525 00:29:46,160 --> 00:29:49,240 Speaker 1: how are you doing. I go, oh, God, enough, hey Bill, 526 00:29:49,440 --> 00:29:51,720 Speaker 1: I'm just going. I suddenly stopped and I looked and 527 00:29:51,760 --> 00:29:54,480 Speaker 1: I go, what are you doing here? He goes, I'm 528 00:29:54,520 --> 00:29:59,720 Speaker 1: a drunk and old bill boy. He was sixty years so, 529 00:30:00,080 --> 00:30:02,320 Speaker 1: and he passed away just about a month ago. And 530 00:30:02,760 --> 00:30:05,800 Speaker 1: here in Stratford he was. We would go to meetings 531 00:30:05,840 --> 00:30:08,000 Speaker 1: every Tuesday night and have dinner and hang out. And 532 00:30:08,360 --> 00:30:11,320 Speaker 1: actually we're working on a project that I got to 533 00:30:11,440 --> 00:30:15,040 Speaker 1: keep going, which is the Bill Wilson Story, but a 534 00:30:15,040 --> 00:30:18,440 Speaker 1: feature film of the Bill Wilson Story. I wasn't going 535 00:30:18,480 --> 00:30:22,960 Speaker 1: to say the name. I wasn't gonna say. You know, 536 00:30:23,360 --> 00:30:29,720 Speaker 1: you're not supposed to say congratulations on that, and bore 537 00:30:29,880 --> 00:30:35,160 Speaker 1: and even more importantly when your babies say anything like that, 538 00:30:35,800 --> 00:30:40,040 Speaker 1: Yes it is. It is why you exist. It is 539 00:30:40,280 --> 00:30:43,920 Speaker 1: every possible thing, and it's from start to finish. And 540 00:30:44,480 --> 00:30:47,400 Speaker 1: one of the things that I've been loved so much 541 00:30:47,440 --> 00:30:50,760 Speaker 1: about you is that it doesn't matter if we're like 542 00:30:51,640 --> 00:30:56,760 Speaker 1: signing autographs at a convention or doing a reality show, 543 00:30:56,880 --> 00:30:59,080 Speaker 1: or doing a writing a book or writing a screenplay 544 00:30:59,160 --> 00:31:02,640 Speaker 1: or writing about what you said once in an interview, 545 00:31:02,720 --> 00:31:05,880 Speaker 1: is that if you can look back and have had 546 00:31:05,920 --> 00:31:09,800 Speaker 1: many different experiences and been present in all of them, 547 00:31:09,920 --> 00:31:13,000 Speaker 1: then that's a life that has been lived. If you 548 00:31:13,040 --> 00:31:16,600 Speaker 1: were to look back, what do you think Chris Atkins is? 549 00:31:17,000 --> 00:31:29,360 Speaker 1: Through linness, through line, uh, love and fun. That's perfect simple. 550 00:31:29,880 --> 00:31:34,160 Speaker 1: I'm a very simple guy. And like you said, I 551 00:31:34,200 --> 00:31:37,640 Speaker 1: always said he with the most stories wins because if 552 00:31:37,640 --> 00:31:40,680 Speaker 1: you've got stories, you've had adventure. If you've had adventure, 553 00:31:40,720 --> 00:31:46,440 Speaker 1: you've lived the life that was Christopher Atkins. And I 554 00:31:46,480 --> 00:31:48,840 Speaker 1: don't know. If you're feeling nostalgic, go and give our 555 00:31:48,960 --> 00:31:52,320 Speaker 1: classic movie Blue Lagoon. Give it a watch. If you 556 00:31:52,400 --> 00:31:55,720 Speaker 1: like this podcast, please head over to Apple Podcasts to 557 00:31:55,960 --> 00:31:59,960 Speaker 1: rate and review. Now what with Berk Shields? It actually 558 00:32:00,160 --> 00:32:02,800 Speaker 1: really helps other people find us, so please do it. 559 00:32:03,600 --> 00:32:10,240 Speaker 1: That's it for us today, talk to you next week now. 560 00:32:10,280 --> 00:32:13,520 Speaker 1: What is produced by the wonderful Julia Weaver with help 561 00:32:13,560 --> 00:32:17,960 Speaker 1: from Darby Masters. Our executive producer is Christina Everett. The 562 00:32:18,000 --> 00:32:21,400 Speaker 1: show is mixed by Bahid Fraser and Christian Bowman. A 563 00:32:21,640 --> 00:32:25,280 Speaker 1: special thanks to nicky Etre and Will Pearson. If you 564 00:32:25,360 --> 00:32:28,280 Speaker 1: liked this episode, please subscribe to the show on the 565 00:32:28,280 --> 00:32:32,040 Speaker 1: I Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get 566 00:32:32,080 --> 00:32:32,560 Speaker 1: your shows.