Corey Haim
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Born: | December 23, 1971 Toronto, Ontario |
|---|---|
| Occupation: | Actor |
Corey Ian Haim (born December 23, 1971) is a Canadian actor, best known for a 1980s Hollywood career as a teen idol. Haim reached peak popularity in the late 1980s, appearing in The Lost Boys, License to Drive and Dream a Little Dream. His friendship and on-screen collaboration with actor Corey Feldman was widely publicized during the late 1980s and the pair were dubbed "The Two Coreys".
Contents |
[edit] Biography
[edit] Early life
Haim was born in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, to Bernie Haim, a Francophone Jewish-Canadian sales representative, and Judy, an Israeli-born computer operator. Haim was enlisted in acting lessons by his mother in an attempt to help him overcome his shyness. [1] Haim, not particularly fascinated by acting, practiced other hobbies such as ice hockey, playing music on his keyboard and collecting comic books.
It was actually his older sister, Carol, who got him initially interested in acting. She brought him along when auditioning for a film role. At a young age, Haim would appear in several television commercials. At 11, his parents divorced after 18 years of marriage.
[edit] Career
[edit] Early successes
Haim first broke into mainstream acting playing the role of Larry in the Canadian family oriented comedy television series, The Edison Twins, which ran from 1982 through until 1986. Haim made his first cinematic appearance in the 1984 feature film, Firstborn, which also starred now well-known actors Sarah Jessica Parker and Robert Downey Jr.
In 1985, Haim appeared in minor roles in Secret Admirer and Murphy's Romance and starred in the leading role in a feature film version of Stephen King's novella, Silver Bullet, playing a paralytic boy alongside Gary Busey. Haim started to make a name for himself in the industry, notably by earning his first Young Artist Award as an Exceptional Young Actor Starring in a Television Special or Movie of the Week for the television movie A Time to Live.
Haim's major break was in 1986, billed as the main star alongside Kerri Green, Charlie Sheen, and Winona Ryder in the popular movie Lucas. Haim would receive a nomination for an Exceptional Performance by a Young Actor Starring in a Feature Film - Comedy or Drama at the Young Artist Awards for his role as the title character. Film critic Roger Ebert raved about Haim's performance, commenting that 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."[2] Following the success of Lucas, Haim starred in the 1987 television series, Roomies.
[edit] 1986-1991
In 1987, Haim had a large role in Joel Schumacher's vampire film, The Lost Boys, alongside Jason Patric and Kiefer Sutherland. The film was well received, grossing $32,222,567 domestically. Besides gaining Haim more renown, the film began his famous partnership with fellow teenage actor Corey Feldman. The performance also earned him another Young Artist Award nomination as Best Young Male Superstar in a Motion Picture.
In 1988, Haim starred in two more widely released films: License to Drive, a financially successful teen comedy which again co-starred Corey Feldman as well as a young Heather Graham, and the horror film based on the Dean R. Koontz novel Watchers, which was a financial disappointment. Haim won his second Young Artist Award, tying Corey Feldman for the Best Young Actor in a Motion Picture Comedy or Fantasy award for License to Drive.
The two Coreys had become a popular on screen collaboration, following two successful films the pair would meet again in 1989, when Haim appeared in the film Dream a Little Dream. The film received mixed reviews and grossed only $5,552,441, notably less than Haim's previous affairs. Despite its failure at the box office, the film gained somewhat of a cult following. That same year, amid much-publicized rumors of a serious drug problem, Haim released a self-promotional video documentary entitled Corey Haim: Me, Myself, and I in an attempt to challenge these rumors which were proving to be detrimental to his image and his credibility as a teenage role model. In the video, he is shown taking part in wholesome family activities and discussing his career and ambitions.
His next film, The Dream Machine was the first of many direct-to-video films that Haim would make in the 1990s. His last theatrical release would come in 1991, the film Prayer of the Rollerboys was only released in 60 theatres and had a low box office gross
[edit] 1992-1997
He continued making direct-to-video films, including Blown Away (also starring Feldman), The Double 0 Kid and Oh, What a Night. His Blown Away co-star and former girlfriend, Nicole Eggert, would later comment that there were substantial delays in filming due to Haim's problems. [3].
In 1993 he starred in a full motion video game called Double Switch, which was released for the Sega CD and later for the Sega Saturn, as well as for the home computer. Over the next two years, Haim would release low budget sequels to two of his older films. In 1994, Fast Getaway II was released along with National Lampoon's Last Resort. The following year, Life 101 and another sequel, Dream a Little Dream 2 with Corey Feldman were released. None of these achieved any major success.
In 1996 Haim starred in four more direct-to-video films: Snowboard Academy, Busted with Corey Feldman (their last film collaboration), Demolition High, and Fever Lake. After releasing both Never Too Late and the sequel to Demolition High, Demolition University (which he also produced), he filed for bankruptcy in 1997. Haim's film roles were scarce since 1997, and apart from playing a minor role in a television version of Merlin, and an ensemble role in Universal Groove--a production plagued with its own problems; Haim would not work as an actor again until 2000.
[edit] 2000-present
Haim returned to the industry with another direct-to-video film, Without Malice, with Jennifer Beals and Craig Sheffer. The next year, Haim appeared in The Back Lot Murders alongside Priscilla Barnes. He became the subject of an E! True Hollywood Story in 2001, which detailed the extent of his drug addiction. Corey Feldman, who had overcome his own drug habit, spoke of how he had tried to intervene with the troubled actor. At this stage, Haim was living with his mother in an apartment in Santa Monica. On August 10, 2001, Haim reportedly suffered a drug induced stroke. A Star Magazine article claimed that he was found by his mother and taken to the UCLA Medical Center, where he briefly fell into a coma.
During an Interview on Urban Rush (2006), Haim denied rumours of a stroke and coma that appeared in The Enquirer.
He made a cameo role appearance in Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star, a film about a former child star who did not live a normal childhood; it featured a range of other former child stars, including Feldman. In 2002, he also guest starred as himself in an episode of the Canadian television series Big Wolf on Campus.
Haim appeared to have finally overcome his drug habit by 2004, after resettling in Toronto. The Irish band, The Thrills, released a single, "Whatever happened to Corey Haim?", in September 2004. In response to an investigation by The Sun newspaper during the single's release into what exactly had happened to Haim, he responded: "I'm clean, sober, humble and happy". [4] Haim is optimistic of returning to the film industry.[5] In 2006, he was ranked #8 on VH1's Greatest Teen Stars.
[edit] Current activity
In June 2006, it was announced that Corey Haim would be reuniting with Corey Feldman in an improv/reality show titled "A Tale of Two Coreys." The show is to focus on fictional versions of Haim and Feldman, with the comedy focusing on Feldman living with his wife and son, and Haim a bachelor re-entering Feldman's life and shaking up his comfortable suburban lifestyle. The Arts & Entertainment Network issued a press release on September 26, 2006, stating that they have given the greenlight to the show. Haim and Feldman began filming for "The Coreys" on December 4, 2006.
[edit] Selected filmography
- See full Haim filmography at IMDB
| Year | Title | Role | Other notes |
| 1999 | Universal Groove | Jim | released in 2006 |
| 1995 | Dream a Little Dream 2 | Dinger Holfield | |
| 1991 | Fast Getaway | Nelson | direct-to-video release |
| 1991 | Prayer of the Rollerboys | Griffin | |
| 1990 | The Dream Machine | Barry Davis | direct-to-video release |
| 1989 | Dream a Little Dream | Dinger | |
| 1988 | Watchers | Travis Cornell | |
| 1988 | License to Drive | Les Anderson | |
| 1987 | The Lost Boys | Sam Emerson | |
| 1986 | Lucas | Lucas | |
| 1985 | Silver Bullet | Marty Coslaw | |
| 1984 | Firstborn | Brian Livingston |
[edit] Notes
- ^ Corey Haim biographic notes IMDB. Retrieved January 8, 2006.
- ^ Ebert, Roger. Roger Ebert review of Lucas. Chicago Sun-Times. March 28, 1986. Retrieved December 25, 2005.
- ^ Gutfield, Greg. Nicole Eggert interview. Stuff Magazine. February 20, 2003. Retrieved December 25, 2005.
- ^ Corey Haim interview The Sun. Retrieved January 18, 2005.
- ^ Corey Haim interview B Globe Magazine. November 2004. Retrieved January 18, 2005.
[edit] References
- Shipp, Patricia. Lost Boys' star in coma after drug overdose (reproduced). Star Magazine. August 21, 2001. Retrieved December 25, 2005.
- Corey Haim biography Teen Idols 4 You. Retrieved December 26, 2005.
- Corey Haim interview The Sun. Retrieved January 18, 2005.
- Corey Haim filmography Internet Movie Database. Retrieved April 19, 2005.
- Awards notes. Internet Movie Database. Retrieved December 20, 2005.
- Corey Haim biographic information Coreyhaim.us. Retrieved December 24, 2005.
- Gutfield, Greg. Nicole Eggert interview. Stuff Magazine. February 20, 2003. Retrieved December 25, 2005.
- Wolfie, Dexter. Corey Haim, an 80's Teen Idol. February 20, 2003. Retrieved December 25, 2005.
- Shipp, Patricia. Lost Boys' star in coma after drug overdose (reproduced). Star Magazine. August 21, 2001. Retrieved December 25, 2005.
- Busty blond Playboy pinup claims that former teen idol Corey Haim... (reproduced). Enquirer Online. August 2001. Retrieved December 25, 2005.
- Ebert, Roger. Roger Ebert review of Lucas. Chicago Sun-Times. February 20, 2003. Retrieved December 25, 2005.
- Morris, Clint. Clint Morris review of License to Drive. Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved December 25, 2005.
- Morris, Clint. Clint Morris review of The Lost Boys. Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved December 25, 2005.
- Sanford, James. James Sanford review of The Lost Boys. Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved December 25, 2005.
- Ebert, Roger. Roger Ebert review of Dream a Little Dream. Chicago Sun-Times. March 3, 1989. Retrieved December 25, 2005.
- Corey Haim biography. Teen Idols 4 You. Retrieved December 26, 2005.
- Dream a Little Dream reviews. Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved January 8, 2006.
- The Corey Haim E! True Hollywood Story. E! True Hollywood Story. Retrieved January 8, 2006.
- Corey Haim interview A Globe Magazine. November 2004. Retrieved January 18, 2005.
- Corey Haim interview B Globe Magazine. November 2004. Retrieved January 18, 2005.
[edit] External links
