The steamy island drama stirred controversy but became a box-office hit, turning the fresh-faced model into a global teen idol overnight. Sudden fame brought pressure. Atkins said gay men were his biggest fan base and admitted the attention was overwhelming. Still, he worked steadily, appearing in Child Bride of Short Creek (1981), The Pirate Movie (1982), and A Night in Heaven (1983). His role as Peter Richards on Dallas cemented his TV fame.

By the mid-1980s, the spotlight dimmed. His manager stole $500,000, and he spiraled into alcoholism before entering rehab in 1986. Sobriety marked a turning point. Atkins rebuilt his career through TV movies like Secret Weapons (1985), Beaks (1987), and Mortuary Academy (1988), while raising two children with his wife, Lyn Barron.

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In the 1990s and 2000s, he appeared in independent films and later joined VH1’s Confessions of a Teen Idol (2009), reflecting, “You wonder if you still have it.” By then, he’d been sober 22 years. Atkins also launched a luxury pool design business — a nod to The Blue Lagoon.

He continued acting in indie projects and recent titles like Ladies of the ’80s: A Divas Christmas (2023). Now 64, Atkins enjoys life as a grandfather of three. “We camp, fish, play ball — we have a blast,” he says. Once a teen idol, he’s become a symbol of resilience and renewal.