CHRIS ANSWERS YOUR BURNING QUESTIONS ABOUT "THE PIRATE MOVIE!"
Original interview exclusively for this site and sister site "The Pirate Movie Page"  in 2001
This article may not be recopied without express permission

RENE:  Thanks for doing this, Chris!  So to start...It is safe to say that The Pirate Movie didn’t do as well at the box office as was hoped; however, in four short years online, The Pirate Movie Page has received nearly 80,000 visitors, and I receive many emails each week thanking me for the site and remembering the movie fondly. Does it surprise you that there is such a huge cult following for the film?

CHRIS:  Yes. Usually I get recognized for The Blue Lagoon or Dallas. It was very interesting to me that the film was so popular as a cult type film. There seems to be this one generation that's locked into that film. Now I want to go back to 20th Century and audit their books. I believe they owe me money. J

RENE:  What was it like working with Kristy McNichol?

CHRIS:  I always said if you could harness Kristy Mc Nichols energy you could light New York. She is EXTREMELY talented and I was surprised to find out what a great voice she had.

RENE:  Ted Hamilton looks to be having a lot of fun with his role as The Pirate King, as do all the cast members. What was it like working with him and the rest of the cast?

CHRIS:  He was tough. He not only was acting but producing the film also, which made it difficult when it came to rehearsals, especially the sword fighting which takes many long hours and months to choreograph. He is a great guy and does like to have fun. Ted was perfect for the role. As far as the others, I still keep in touch with many of them (they are all Australian). They were the BEST!

RENE: The songs First Love and How Can I Live Without Her are the most requested songs from the soundtrack. Had you ever sang professionally prior to The Pirate Movie? Did you have any coaching?

CHRIS:  I had A LOT of coaching for the movie and no, I have never sung professionally before. I don’t sing well in the shower! Thank God for machines. The can make a dog sing!

RENE:  Was there a lot of training involved to do the sword fighting scenes?

CHRIS:  Yes, there was months of sword fighting. It was grueling and I had many a ding and nick to show for it.

RENE:  Did you enjoy shooting in Australia? Did you meet your wife there?  (Chris' ex-wife Lynne is from Australia)

CHRIS:  I LOVE Australia! It’s like my second home. I was there for this movie for 6 months. No, I did not meet my wife on that trip - well I knew of her then, but I did not meet her. She was playmate of the year that year we were shooting. I did not officially meet her (other than seeing her shots J) until four years later when I was shooting something else in Australia.

RENE:  It’s my understanding that the Stanley Mansion is, in reality, the Werribee Mansion, a historical site in Australia. What was it like shooting there and what other places/locations were used?

CHRIS:  Yes, it was the Werribee Mansion and it was beautiful. A lot of land. It was an awesome place to shoot because it had so many interesting nooks and crannies such as the huge library we used. We also shot at a location that was an Aboriginal sacred ground for the shots coming up the cliff. That had some red tape to go through to shoot there but it was fascinating. The ship was the most fun.

RENE:  What is your fondest memory of shooting the film?

CHRIS:  Every day we would go train on a rope course and dance for the different numbers in the film. I enjoyed that a lot cause everyone was together and it was a hoot.

RENE:  Do you still have any of the wardrobe or props from the film?

CHRIS:  Yes, got the pants and the boots.

RENE:  Have your kids, Grant and Brittney, seen the film? What do they think of dad!?

CHRIS:  They love it and Brittney drives me crazy cause she plays the sound track in the car all the time. It's interesting cause they grow up with it so it’s not as cool until a friend comes over and she shows the film. My son, he’s all sports and could care less.

Once again, HUGE THANK YOU to Christopher Atkins for answering these questions for fans!