Whatever happened to Corey Haim?
February 20, 2007
Katelyn J. Szekeres
I stumbled upon the song “Whatever happened to Corey Haim?” by The Thrills recently, and it got me wondering: whatever did happen to Corey Haim, the popular 80s acting star?
Admittedly, the 80s brought out the worst in people when it came to fashion, music, and an array of other cultural effects. But 80s movies, especially the teen movies, really can’t be beat. They’ll always have a special place in our hearts. When teen angst ran amuck, we reaped the benefits with gems like The Breakfast Club and Pretty in Pink. But one actor clearly stood out among the rest. No, not Judd Nelson. His name is Corey Haim.
Known embarrassingly as the “Haimster” to the public, he was my childhood acting hero (he’s a Canadian, too). He received critical acclaim for his roles in A Time to Live, Silver Bullet, The Lost Boys, and Lucas, which showcased his talent. If you haven’t seen any of the above-mentioned films, I would advise you to do so quickly.
At the same time, I would advise skipping over any films he made after 1988. I found this out first hand. The ill-fated horror flick Fever Lake created a most unsavory smudge on his record, which had been until that moment relatively clean. I guess we all make mistakes. But from what my amateur research has unearthed, it seems Mr. Haim has made more than his fair share.
By the time the Haimster was 16, he was a multimillionaire hooked on prescription drugs. During the early 90s, Haim’s movies were direct-to-video bombs, several of which were with fellow child actor Corey Feldman of (appreciative silence, please) The Goonies and The Burbs.
In 1993, he was charged with allegedly pulling out a fake handgun during a fight with his manager. Later that year he starred in a full-motion video game, Double Switch, and made several forgettable productions and sequels. In 1997, Corey filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection; he had racked up debts of $104 000 to the IRS and $100 000 in taxes. Then a strange rumour spread that he attempted to sell one of his molars on eBay, which as expected, did little to boost his quickly dwindling career.
In 2001, like any child-actor whose 15 minutes are up, he became the subject of an E! True Hollywood Story, speaking out about his drinking and drug issues. In August of the same year, he suffered a drug-induced stroke in his mother’s home in Ontario. His mother found him and called the ambulance. He then checked into rehab.
When he was interviewed in 2006 by a newspaper wondering, along with The Thrills, whatever happened to Corey Haim, the Haimster claimed to be “clean, sober, and happy,” and had hopes of returning to film.
So there you are; that’s what happened to Corey Haim. There have been some teen actors who have survived past their 80s stint, like the amazing and incomparable Jason Bateman of Arrested Development fame. So is there a chance that we might see more of Haim’s once burgeoning talent? Let’s hope so.
Now you go...
3 Responses to “Whatever happened to Corey Haim?”
Got something to say?
A State of the Haim address:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WLRK-XP_GLE
That is why he sucks.
Agreed there were some bad times in Corey-land, but come on! I believe that the article showcased that the Haimster has seen the error of his ways and is ready to move on.
I really look forward to reading your articles…….I guess it’s your style of writing that I find most enjoyable. Looking forward to your next one.
by the way, I have always been a Haimster fan and really hope he comes back to life.