Brooke Shields opened up about the uncomfortable things she was forced to do on the set of Blue Lagoon.
Speaking previously on her podcast Now What? With Brooke Shields, the actress reunited with her co-star Christopher Atkins to talk about the movie, and how it most definitely would not be able to be made today due to the controversial nature of it all.
Blue Lagoon follows the story of two young cousins who are shipwrecked on a tropical island in the South Pacific. The pair go on to develop an intimate relationship and even have a baby together.
Not only that, but the movie also saw her character constantly strip down and engage in sexual activities with Atkins, who was 18 at the time while Shields was only 14.
Brooke Shields played Emmeline in the desert island adventure The Blue Lagoon, directed by Randal Kleiser. Credit: Hulton Archive/Getty
"Never again will a movie be made like that ever. I mean, it wouldn't be allowed," the 58-year-old actress said.
"Oh gosh no. Animals were hurt in the movie. We were spearing fish and all kinds of crazy things. Children are naked running down a beach, couldn't do that now," Atkins replied.
He then went on to explain that the nudity aspect of the film was "important" to director Randal Kleiser, and that he insisted Shields and Atkins go as far as getting tans for their roles.
"We were never eased into it," Shields - now 59 - added. "We got there and they instantly wanted us to be tanned. Remember, they set up those little thatched areas so that we could get tanned without tan lines."
The 63-year-old Atkins then opened up the discussion about how the pair reacted to the nude scenes in the movie, saying: "There were scenes where I was butt naked with you, if you remember, sliding down that slide and things like that. And that was a little awkward, but it was kind of funny for me because at this point in time I would just do it. But your reaction was: 'Ugh, oh god.'"
While a body double did stand in for her for the nude scenes, Shields alleged that filmmakers encouraged her to pursue a real romance with Atkins off-screen.
Brooke Shields addressed her nude scenes with Christopher Atkins in the film. Credit: Columbia Pictures/Getty
"They wanted us so desperately to fall in love with each other. I did not react well being forced into feeling anything," she said before adding: "I hadn't even kissed anybody by that age."
Elsewhere during their chat, the pair also talked about how difficult filming for Blue Lagoon was as even despite their young ages, they had to do stunts - some of which left them injured.
"There were long hours and there was a lot of physical stuff in that movie," Atkins recalled. "Climbing those coconut trees, man, I was chafed up to no end. Running over the coral and stuff, all the bug bites and coral cuts and all the other crazy things. The fevers and everything we had, people don't know any of that stuff - it's not easy."
Brooke Shields doesn't think the movie would be made today. Credit: Aaron Davidson/Getty
Shields agreed, stating that the pair were forced to deal with infections from cuts they got.
"Any kind of cut you had and you went in the water, bits of the coral would get into the cut and it'd become completely infected and ulcerated," she said. "We were like the Wild West but it just happened to be on the water.
"And I remember I got pneumonia... In the birthing scene, when I'm supposed to be having the baby, I uncontrollably can't breathe and have a coughing fit and everyone's like what a great acting choice, I'm like: 'I can't breathe!'"
All episodes of Now What? With Brooke Shields are available to listen to on Apple Podcasts.
