For a brief moment in the late ’80s, this Toronto-born actor was the hottest teen in Hollywood. But just a few years later, it all came crashing down.
Bankrupt, battling addiction, and eventually seen on the streets begging for a slice of pizza, the child star’s life took a tragic turn. When he died in 2010, Hollywood was stunned, and even the biggest stars mourned the loss.
Here’s the heartbreaking story Corey Haim – and how it all went so wrong.
Growing up in Hollywood is tough, and sadly, we’ve seen far too many tragic examples of this. But when it comes to Corey Haim, I don’t think I’ve ever heard a story more heartbreaking. He was such a sweet, lovable kid before Hollywood chewed him up and spat him out.
Born in December 1971 in Toronto, Canada, Haim was a shy child, so his parents encouraged him to take acting lessons to build confidence.
By the age of ten, he was already appearing in TV commercials, and he quickly discovered that being in front of the camera felt natural. This led to a role on the TV series The Edison Twins.
During this time, Haim’s parents divorced, a change that weighed heavily on him. But in 1984, he landed the role of Brian Livingston in Firstborn, earning a Young Artist Award nomination and cementing his budding career.
Film critic Roger Ebert praised him, saying, ”He creates one of the most three-dimensional, complicated, interesting characters of any age in any recent movie. If he can continue to act this well, he will never become a half-forgotten child star, but will continue to grow into an important actor. He is that good.”
Everything changed in 1987 when Haim starred in The Lost Boys alongside Corey Feldman. The two became instant teen heartthrobs, and their chemistry led to multiple future projects, including the reality series The Two Coreys.
Thousands of fan letters
As a young teenager, Corey Haim was flooded with fan mail from all over the world— thousands of letters poured in. But he was clearly unprepared for the intensity of fame and the feeling that he could get anything he wanted.
In 1988, on his way to the premiere of the hit comedy License to Drive, Corey was caught by reporters in a moment that perfectly captured his world as one of the ’80s poster boys.
“We’re going to take a shower together,” he was quoted telling his girlfriend Lala “and then you’re going to go home and do your makeup and hair and get dressed.”
Turning to his mom, Judy, he added:
“We’re calling a limo, aren’t we, Mom?”
The exchange showed just how much life in the spotlight had shaped Corey — even at a very young age.
Like many child actors, he didn’t stay in school for long. His formal education lasted only until eighth grade. Instead, Haim became a regular at Alphy’s Soda Pop Club, an exclusive nightclub for underage actors located in the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel.
