Corey Haim Is Dead

Corey Haim, 80’s teen heartthrob and permanent fixture in the collective memory of anyone in their thirties, has died of an apparent overdose. At 38, he had traveled the path of self-destruction so often taken by former child stars, sinking into drug addiction and ballooning from his previously wiry frame to 300 pounds. Despite attempts at rehab, and a short-lived reality show with his former partner-in-crime Corey Feldman, Haim fell victim to the biggest Hollywood cliché of all: untimely death.

Despite the commercial nature of most of his films he managed to create an empathetic, if at times a bit cartoonish, portrait of the average American teenager. He was the kid we all wanted to be, having the adventures we wanted to have. In The Lost Boys Haim portrayed a typical kid from Santa Cruz, California, fascinated with horror stories, who had the misfortune/fortune of encountering a pack of stylish vampires helmed by Kiefer Sutherland. It remains one of my favorite movies and is widely considered a cult classic. His talents may have been more deep and subtle than critics would have given him credit for––he was often dismissed as little more than a teenybopper icon. And though his portrayal of a frail, nerdy kid in Lucas revealed an actor full of wit and pathos, his career would be relegated to the Summer teen flick. And like so many child actors, once he got older his public appeal plummeted. It’s a sad story, and we’ve seen it happen so many times before. RIP Corey Haim.