Image Credit: Everett CollectionCorey Haim is gone at the age of 38. We can’t pretend that we’ve all followed his career in recent years, but when someone touches your life when you’re young — as Haim did with Lucas, which taught us that the strongest kids in school are the ones who walk down that hallway knowing they’ll be teased — you’ll always have a fondness for them. I interviewed Haim twice in the last five years. The first time was in 2005, when License to Drive hit DVD. He was 33, but I remember him pausing our phone chat to ask his mother for a SunnyD. When I brought up the regret he expressed in his DVD interview over his trademark smirk, he asked his mother if he still does it. He sounded like a child, even in his earnestness. I told him that the director of the film referred to him as “one of the best-driving actors I’ve ever worked with.” His response: “I’ve always had a knack for hitting the mark perfectly. Even when I’m walking or running, I’m very good at not having to look down. And I’ve done everything, including snowboarding [in 1996's Snowboard Academy]. That was the hardest to hit my mark on.”
In 2007, I spoke with Haim and Corey Feldman before the premiere of their A&E reality series The Two Coreys. Early in the conversation, Haim made a raspberry noise, but later, the tone turned serious. “I really feel like I’m absorbing a lot more than I ever have,” he said. “I really feel like I’m taking life more seriously than I ever have, hence the three months of filming, and A&E, our second chance, not showing up late, and hearing that the editors are not sick of looking at our faces and they’re pausing it and cracking up at us all the time. It’s a nice thing because I think work is a very, very, very tricky thing [for me], and I know I’ve passed the point of being Corey the Bad Kid to being Corey the Responsible Man to the best I can. So I think this is my best work because it’s very honest…. Basically, I think it was the most I’ve ever been in control of myself.”
“He was very present,” Feldman said.
“Exactly, thank you, kid. I was searching for that one word.”
I got the impression that Haim was competitive with Feldman (who noted that Haim had only recently been able to appreciate the work Feldman had done without him), but that he also felt the most comfortable whenever he was around. Haim told me he’d bought Feldman and himself matching Tiffany rings “for Hanukkah, for Christmas, for our show, for life, for everything.” Feldman pointed out that Haim had already lost his, but when Haim asked if Feldman was still wearing his ring, he was. ”We’ll be best brothers forever and ever, and past the grave,” Haim said.
“I love Corey regardless of what life choices he makes and what direction his life goes,” Feldman said. “Whatever he does, as long as he’s happy. And as long as he’s….”
“Clean,” Haim said.
“And proud of himself and what he’s doing,” Feldman finished.
We ended the conversation talking about Haim’s love of painting.
FELDMAN: I’ll just say this: I’ve got two paintings from Mr. Haim in my home. Which I display.
HAIM: He actually does, they’re up.
FELDMAN: One of them was from many years ago, when he was in a darker place. And it’s interesting because that one’s in darker colors, whereas the one that he did on the show is a bit brighter in nature. So it’s interesting, the artist’s perspective on that.
HAIM: You know what, man, I hadn’t even thought about that, dude. That’s a great point. The one I did for Core [before], was something I was calling anger art, taking the brush and just whipping the paint. Red and black colors. This [recent] one, it’s colorful. It just shows when you’re different in your head, how things work. I get what you’re saying, kid, that’s very smart.
FELDMAN: It’s just an observation.
HAIM: It’s a good observation.
Share your favorite memories of Corey Haim.
More Corey Haim:
Corey Haim: 13 roles we’ll remember
Q&A with the Coreys
Q&A with ‘License to Drive’ star Corey Haim
I remember arguing over favorite Corey status with my best friend in 7th grade. I was always a Feldman girl and she was a Haim. We could never convince each other to switch. What a simpler time. Sorry he is gone. I thought he had cleaned up.
I guess you won! Congratulations.
Corey Haim always has and will always be the BEST Corey. Corey Hart is pretty good too.
Both Corey’s are great. Poor Haim though, he seemed to take it all the more harder.
Wow, tactfully done. Douche.
that was @ jeff
I think at a time like this we should remember that even though he was a star he was still human. I think sometimes we forget that. Everyone makes mistakes. Unforturnately for Corey it cost him his life. RIP Corey!!!
He will be missed….Loved Lost boys, and license to drive………….~:(
James, I also want to thank you for what you wrote. You described my brother and his lost battle perfectly. Thank You
Imagine a loved one battling cancer…for 25 years or longer. Hope may be eternal, but uncertainty is also there every step of the way. That’s what living with an addicted loved one is like, the slowest and most painful of deaths. Disappointment upon disappointment, hopes dashed, slowly watching that person fade away, every day becoming more and more of a shell of themselves. The person you knew and loved. Knowing inside that no matter what you do, there’s really nothing you CAN do. I’ve lived it more than once and wouldn’t wish it upon anyone. Addiction often preys on the most creative for some reason. Artists in particular, and the list is far too long to document. In Corey’s mind, he likely still saw the Corey of 1987, but in his heart he saw the Corey of today, the guy Hollywood had long turned its back on, the Corey who let people down, fans, friends, family. One by one they let go to leave you twisting in the wind. Hopeless, destitute, reaching for anything to ease the pain. God Bless you Corey, you left your mark forever, your role in Lucas was your best, and many many years from now your memory will live in through that and other roles. You were real and honest about your flaws. That other Corey, not so much. Saw him on Larry King last night, and it became clear why he can’t find work either, dude can’t act. Has no soul. Sat there watching clips of you two together and shed not a single tear, voice never even cracked. I’d have been a mess. Rest in peace my friend, I know I’ll remember you.
Thank you James for writing this. It spoke to me about my own precious son.
He WAS cleaning up his act; after 19 rehabs, this poor fellow was dealing with some MAJOR addictions. He wasn’t in the process of abusing; he was taking only what had been prescribed to him. However, there’s only so much the human body can take. A very sad story, to be sure.
Very sad over this. I just watched him in The Lost Boys over the weekend and was looking for my copy of Lucas because he was such a cutie back then. I did watch his show on A&E and it pained me to see that he had let his life go to drugs.
I dont think anyone forced the drugs on him. But since we’re pointing the finger, lets point. To his parents, who allowed him to do anything he wanted at such a young age, because im sure they became just as wealthy from his success. Lets point at the press/tabloids, who built him up when he was successful and knocked him down when he was on the outs. Oh, but lets point the finger at ourselves. Not only did we eat up what the tabloids serve up about Mr Haim, but we got ENTERTAINMENT from his fall. Viewers watched him suffer on The Two Coreys, yet another reality show that encourages those who suffer to exploit their faults for our pleasure. When will the world see that these Reality Shows are nothing but modern day Gladiator battles. We lust for these flawed individuals to go down. From John and Kate to Corey Haim, we want them to self destruct. Damn the consequences, damn their families&friends who are left to pick up the pieces when the show is off. He entertained us as a movie star, and he entertained us as a wounded human being.
Dustin,
great comments, you’ve said it all so eloquently.
Dustin: well said!!
Hey D
-BLOVIATE MUCH?
these people on reality shows do it for 2 reasons: publicity and/or money. It sells, they choose to do it. Choices, man.
We own our actions. How we react to the actions or persuasiveness of others speaks volumes about US, not them. As unfortunate as it is, Corey is responsible for himself, not anyone else.
And one more thing – we don’t know yeat, whether or not drugs played a part in his death. Maybe residual, but not necessarily an overdose.
Let’s wait for the facts. Judge not, lest we be judged, right folks?
RIP, Corey!
Everything you said has merit. I find it very hard to place “blame” on anyone. We are responsible for the choices we make in life. No matter how dysfunctional our parents or non parent caregivers were, or society, or pressures, we have the final choice. He just knowingly kept making the wrong ones.
I totally agree with you on this. I however did not watch the The Two Coreys…I hated seeing the of them together and witnessing the conflict of good and evil. I loved both the Coreys then and still to this day.They BOTH could have done so much more with their lives if they pushed themselves to. I am gonna miss Haim making appearances out of nowhere and making those movies that stick with us. I feel for Feldman for loosing his best friend,it has to be absolutely heart breaking.Feldman keep your head up. R.I.P Corey H. (you are truely a star now)
Well, I certainly don’t “lust for these flawed individuals to go down” or “want to see them self destruct.” I could not watch The Two Coreys because it looked too painful and heart-wrenching. I don’t watch Dr. Drew’s show either because, just from the previews, this also looks very painful to watch. When people are basically struggling to survive and recover, that should not be plastered all over TV to watch, just like we would watch a comedy show. These very personal struggles should be handled in private, not for the world to see. I would much rather watch these stars when they are happy and flourishing. I want to remember Corey Haim as the adorable child actor and the very likeable teenage actor that he was.
That is one of the most eloquent well thought out posts I’ve read on these boards.
Dustin,
Thank you for speaking the truth.
My heart aches for his mom.
And to James, who so correctly likens addiction to cancer. It IS a disease once a person is addicted and “to use or not to use; to drink or not to drink” is not as easy as it sounds.
As many who battle cancer and other diseases, addicts are in a true life or death struggle. Corey Haim is one of countless who fought the good fight, but tragically lost.
Be careful how you judge, for by your own standards will you be judged.
Replying to the comment-Part of the problem-You have no idea what you are talking about blaming Cory’s parents.
As someone who knew Cory when he was a little kid before he ever was given a role to tackle, I can tell you as I know Cory’s parents, or at least I did know them that his parents bare no blame here.
Cory was a handful from the time he was first walking. Hyper energy, but a good kid.
His parents long divorced did not prosper from Cory’s short time of fame and or prosperity, as most know he unfortunately was out of control and his money evaporated very quickly.
Cory never had an opportunity to grow up and develop into someone he could appreciate being, drugs truly were his enemy.
May he rest in peace.
His parents have not seen myself or wife in over 20 years, but we will be there for them when they bring him home to rest in Toronto.
Victor Goldman
A really excellent analysis of possible contributing factors, Dustin, and one more might be added to the list.
At age 14, he injured his neckl on the set of “Lost Boys” and it really the musculature and vertebral alignment…had a permanent muscle knot and protruding cervical which was impinging a nerve that was never resolved.
He was started on pain killers as a teen, and had to continue on with them as he said the pain was so bad he just wanted to cut his head off. He felt sooo depressed about his addiction to Valium and other prescription pain meds he could easily get from well-meaning doctors, but just couldn’t break free of the drug haze to think clearly about a life plan or getting a grip as he was in so much pain.
Unfortunately, some of these doctors even told him to stay faaaar away from chiropractors who might have really helped him, along with other non-drug modalities.
How do I know this? I had the privilege of massaging this beautiful soul when I briefly did massage for one of the celebrity rehabs he was in, and his neck was a freaking mess.
He was one of the kindest, most loving, light-filled people I have ever worked on, and he felt soooo bad that he had ‘let down’ his family, friends, and fans.
Dealing with extreme pain is no easy feat…you’d only really know if you’ve been there, and unfortunately, he was started on drugs at a very tender age (and he admitted to using other drugs as a young adult, but said it was the prescription drugs he was addicted to and that he could legally get as much as he needed / wanted for his pain).
I only worked for the rehab center “briefly” because I chose to tell him about other options for pain management/resolution, and about the downside of taking the mass Benedryl they were giving him as part of his ‘treatment’ (Benedryl is a known factor in psychosis scenarios). I also passed this info on to the owner, as I wanted to be up front (knowing full well it would do me in job-wise, but I couldn’t let him get away without a few healthy, life-promoting options!).
I don’t know anything about his dad, but from what I observed of the sweet phone calls he had with his mother, they had a very loving, stable, supportive, guidance-oriented family life.
Corey, sweetie, you will be missed, you precious soul!
He had a good life, most don’t get the chances he did. They marketed his problems along with the other Cory. It would be great if they could say, hey, I had a great RUN, and did the best I could with it. Now I got to live the rest of my life, out. But…1/2 of the child stars never do.
This makes NO SENSE AT ALL. What are you even trying to say????
Perhaps you should think a bit harder. It’s perfectly clear what Chris is saying.
How does one think harder you blathering muffin-head?
Obviously, Chris doesn’t know anything about being an artist.
But since we’re pointing the finger, lets point. To his parents, who allowed him to do anything he wanted at such a young age, because im sure they became just as wealthy from his success. Lets point at the press/tabloids, who built him up when he was successful and knocked him down when he was on the outs. Oh, but lets point the finger at ourselves. Not only did we eat up what the tabloids serve up about Mr Haim, but we got ENTERTAINMENT from his fall. Viewers watched him suffer on The Two Coreys, yet another reality show that encourages those who suffer to exploit their faults for our pleasure. When will the world see that these Reality Shows are nothing but modern day Gladiator battles. We lust for these flawed individuals to go down. From John and Kate to Corey Haim, we want them to self destruct. Damn the consequences, damn their families&friends who are left to pick up the pieces when the show is off. He entertained us as a movie star, and he entertained us as a wounded human being.
Didn’t you just post this same exact comment under the name “Dustin”??
I get what Chris is saying – most child actors live a suspended life after their youth is gone. Rather than leaving show-biz behind and finding another outlet they get hooked on drugs and ultimately end up trying hang on anyway they can. I never got the impression that he appreciated his fame – on his reality show he seemed immature and completely self-absorbed.
I was always a Haim girl myself. I will remember him fondly as one of my teen crushes. RIP, Corey.
Haim girls were always hotter than the Feldman devotees. And by hotter I mean they put out.
That is just a rude and stupid thing to say.
wow its weird when someone who you grew up with passes. It was an easier time hanging with the my siblings enjoying all the fun movies the 2 Coreys made. Thanks for the laughs even as faraway as s.africa you had reach.
I grew up with what I call my “rat pack of the 80′s”. When River Phoenix died I was devestated. I was very proud of both Corey’s for over coming so much. I am deeply hurt today to find Corey Heim has passed away and in such a way. It’s hard to watch my boys go to drugs! His movies were fun, and I’ll never forget how they made me feel. RIP COREY!
Also, I saw both Corey’s at a KISS FM event back in 1988 held at Knott’s Berry Farm with Richard Marx and Run DMC. What a memory! The topper was an on stage chat with the boys. I thought my life was complete after that!
I wish Doc could build me a time machine. I’d travel back to Knott’s Berry Farm and tape the whole thing!
I grew up with the same “rat pack of the 80s.” I was also devastated when River Phoenix died, and I’m very sad today over Corey Haim’s death. I’m not into Reality TV, so I never saw The Two Coreys, but I had been carrying around the thought that they had both come out of some dark stuff on the other side, and sadly only one instead of both now survives.
There’s a special place in hell for the people that turned this kid onto drugs. They are vultures all of them.
I agree. They lurk in the dark corners at these night clubs as they become famous and nieve!
He took them. He was weak!
@Jeff -He was “weak”?! He was FIFTEEN YEARS OLD when he took them for God sakes!!
I dont think anyone forced the drugs on him. But since we’re pointing the finger, lets point. To his parents, who allowed him to do anything he wanted at such a young age, because im sure they became just as wealthy from his success. Lets point at the press/tabloids, who built him up when he was successful and knocked him down when he was on the outs. Oh, but lets point the finger at ourselves. Not only did we eat up what the tabloids serve up about Mr Haim, but we got ENTERTAINMENT from his fall. Viewers watched him suffer on The Two Coreys, yet another reality show that encourages those who suffer to exploit their faults for our pleasure. When will the world see that these Reality Shows are nothing but modern day Gladiator battles. We lust for these flawed individuals to go down. From John and Kate to Corey Haim, we want them to self destruct. Damn the consequences, damn their families&friends who are left to pick up the pieces when the show is off. He entertained us as a movie star, and he entertained us as a wounded human being.
why do you keep posting the same thing? we got it the first time.
because its important for people to read it, and quit acting like they care now.
My father’s father built my soap box and it’s been past down through the generations.
Dustin you’re weird
Generation-X, Y, and Z has become the biggest lost generations in the 21st century.
Andrew Koenig dies and more celebrities get depress. It’s very very depressing.
Billie Mays and NOW THIS???
Just goes to show you what addiction can do! His friends and famliy should have been there for him, he needed them! So for all that left him behind you will live with this the rest of your life. Only one can stand in judgment. RIP Cory!!!!! You will be missed.
i believe that when you use the death of someone to post a dating site, you can pretty much be guaranteed that very little biz if any, will come your way. i know i won’t even
You never stood a chance anyway!
His friends and family should have been there for him?! He was with his mom, taking care of her! And you can’t live your life supporting an addict – if they’re an adult, they’re making their own decisions. You can only do so much before you HAVE to leave it up to them to clean up their life. It’s a huge shame that Corey couldn’t find peace without drugs, and I’m sure he had many close friends and family loving him until the end. He was a charming, wonderful soul and I hope he rests in peace. Time to stop blaming ‘other people’ for what he did to himself, though.
Will he make “the cut” for the In Memoriam tribute at next year’s Oscars?!?
Thats funny. I bet not. He hasnt made the cut for anything in quite awhile. They usually save the in Memoriam for Talented Actors
He was talented – watch Lucas.
He was very talented. Watch Lucas and the Silver Bullet. He just fell victim to what a lot of child stars do. The adults in his life (parents, producers, directors, agents, etc) started treating him more like an ATM than a child. They let him do whatever he wanted and have zero structure in his life as long as the money was flowing. This is the downfall of all the tragic child stars. They are told from an early age that they are perfect and suffer no consequences for their mistakes. It’s no wonder they are ill-equipped to deal with the real world.
Down right nasty
So sad. Sadder still is the judgement that so many posters have hypocritically shown on other posts. The bottom line is yes, he chose to do drugs, he lost himself in it, and it took his life. What we need to remember though, is that we ALL engage in dangerous or reckless behaviour… we drink too much, fight too much, eat too much, screw too many strangers, stress too much, swear too much, speed too often… we all do something we shouldn’t, but that shouldn’t make our death, or Corey Haim’s any less tragic. Thank you Mr. Haim, and all those lost before you, for all that you left behind.
How tragic! Another great talent lost. Mr. Corey Haim will be remebered as one of the “greats”along side James Dean, Brando, Heath Ledger and Yahoo Serious.
Yahoo Serious is dead?
Yahoo Serious is dead??
No, he’s not.
You must be shrooming!
Whew, for a minute there, I thought you were seriously ranking him with Dean and Brando- then the Yahoo Serious thing- I was seriously about to get violent right here in the cubicle!
Sam, stop your kidding. You’re a prefect lamb silly!
RIP Corey Haim.
Who’s Yahoo Serious?
Swearing too much can kill you? Well, damn.
LOL.
This is a good comment.
These comments have so touched my life that I have been inspired to create a new line of men’s fragrance.
What a humble, honest insight. Of course we’ll miss him, he was way too young to die!
How very sad. I loved the movie Lucas above all. So young…. gone at 38. RIP.
I wonder if the Oscars next year in thier memoriam tribute will “forget” to include him like they forgot Farrah
they didn’t forget farrah, they decided not to include her because they felt she was more television than film. Though they included MJ who only did what, one film. messed up! and sadly i doubt they will include him next year. RIP Corey Haim!!
I met him last year at a Horror Convention, he was a real spoiled jackass.
Jerk in life = Jerk in death.
“Less, it’s me, Papa!!” Liscense to drive, he was awsome in that movie.