Corey Haim, star of ’80s movies, dies
March 10, 2010 9:43 a.m. EST
Corey Haim, pictured at a 2009 event in Hollywood, California, has died of a possible drug overdose, police say.
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
Actor Corey Haim, 38, pronounced dead at Burbank, California, hospital
Haim’s death appears to be accidental, possibly a drug overdose, police say
Haim’s most famous role was in 1987 movie “The Lost Boys”
He appeared with Corey Feldman in eight movies, later reality series
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Los Angeles, California (CNN) — Actor Corey Haim, who appeared in a number of movies during the 1980s, died early Wednesday of a possible drug overdose after being taken to a hospital, Los Angeles police said.
Haim, 38, was taken to Providence St. Joseph Medical Center in Burbank, California, where he was pronounced dead at about 3:30 a.m. PT Wednesday (6:30 a.m. ET), police Sgt. Frank Albarran said.
The death appears to be accidental, possibly an overdose, Albarran said.
Haim’s most famous role was in the 1987 movie “The Lost Boys” in which he appeared with his frequent co-star, Corey Feldman.
In later years, the two friends — who appeared in eight movies together — both struggled with drug abuse and went their separate ways. They reunited for a reality show, “The Two Coreys,” in 2007, but A&E Network canceled the program after slightly more than a year.
In a 2007 interview on CNN’s “Larry King Live,” Haim and Feldman both discussed their battle with drugs. Feldman told King that he had gotten clean, but it took Haim a while longer.
Haim called himself “a chronic relapser for the rest of my life.”
“I think I have an addiction to pretty much everything,” he said. “I mean, I have to be very careful with myself as far as that goes, which is why I have a support group around me consistently.”
He told King that he also had lost more than 150 pounds while getting sober.
“I didn’t like looking in the mirror anymore,” Haim said. “I couldn’t do it … See, I hit about, my peak, about 302 [pounds]. … And now I’m back to 150.”
In 2008, Feldman told People magazine that he would no longer speak to Haim until Haim got sober. In a clip from “The Two Coreys,” Feldman and his wife, along with two other former teen stars, called on Haim in an effort to get him to admit he needed help, the magazine said.
The meeting followed an incident in which Haim — scheduled to film a cameo appearance in a direct-to-DVD sequel to “The Lost Boys” — appeared on the set “clearly under the influence,” People reported.
“I don’t feel that he’s a safe person to have around my wife and child at the moment, for a multitude of reasons,” Feldman told People. Haim told the magazine in the August 2008 story that he was currently sober and said, “I will always love Corey Feldman, but I lost 105 percent respect for him and his wife.”
Haim was born December 23, 1971 in Toronto, Ontario, according to a biography on his Web site. He made his first television appearance in 1982 on the Canadian series “The Edison Twins.” His first film role was in 1984, when he appeared in the American movie “First Born.”
Haim also won rave reviews for his title role in the 1986 film “Lucas.” Film critic Roger Ebert said of him at the time, “If he continues to act this well, he will never become a half-forgotten child star, but will continue to grow into an important actor.”
Following “The Lost Boys,” both Haim and Feldman appeared in “License to Drive” and “Dream a Little Dream.”