Corey Haim (RIP)

You've probably already heard that former teen star Corey Haim was found dead today at 38, apparently of a drug overdose. Hollywood can unfortunately fill whole cemeteries with actors whose brief bouts of fame seem to have preceded (or caused?) drug-filled obscurity. Fame can't be easy to deal with, and though most of us can only guess, faded fame might be even harder still. [Not all former child / teen stars have difficulties with anonymity though. I remember seeing early 90s star Mayim Bailik (TV's Blossom but, more importantly, young Bette Midler in Beaches!) on an episode of "What Not to Wear" fairly recently. She seemed happy and content with just being a regular person.]

I never saw Corey's recent short lived TV show "The Two Coreys", in which he co-starred with his frequent screen partner and fellow teen icon Corey Feldman, mostly because the fame-whoring subgenre of reality TV makes me crazy uncomfortable. I don't feel "above it" per se -- I know many readers love reality tv so I'm not trying to get judgey -- but I just literally can't watch any show that's about the Z list. It pushes all my buttons and not in the good way. The talent contest wing of the medium is way more my style.

Corey Haim & Winona Ryder (her film debut) in Lucas (1986) [src photo]

Anyway... Corey Haim was a teen sensation when I myself was a teenager so it's sad news. I first became aware of him in Murphy's Romance (1985) a Sally Field comedy in her peak movie years and the high school film Lucas (1986). For me the latter film was all about the introduction of Winona Ryder. I was a complete goner the moment I saw her and told my parents that she was going to be hugely famous. (One of my most prescient movie-watching moments). So I remember Haim best as the obnoxious excitable kid brother in The Lost Boys. Corey provided the comic relief while his screen brother (Jason Patric) provided the dreamy brooding. My favorite thing about Corey's performance was how uncool it was. He was smart and funny enough to play actual fear while doing heroic things like fighting vampires rather than attempting the more macho posturing many actors do when they're required to do brave things like battling supernatural monsters in their caves. Always loved that movie.

According to his IMDb page, Corey had several projects lined up for the next couple of years so obviously some of those movies will have to recast. More on Corey's last days here.

Rest in peace Corey Haim, one-time vampire killer.