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Remembering Corey Haim: The Teen Idol Passed Away 16 Years Ago
Former teen star Corey Haim passed away at the age of 38, and it has been 16 years since his death. Haim got his first commercial when he was just 10 years old and quickly became one of the leading characters in the Canadian TV series The Edison Twins. The young actor’s debut film was in Firstborn (1984), along with Sarah Jessica Parker and Robert Downey Jr.His first and biggest role was at the age of 14 when he played in the 1986 coming-of-age movie Lucas.At the peak of his 1980s career, Haim led the cast of several cult classics such as The Lost Boys and License to Drive, frequently starring with other teen idols like Corey Feldman and Johnny Depp.
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Corey Haim’s Struggles and Legacy: What to Know About His Death
Despite a bright start to his career, Corey Haim struggled with drug addiction for most of his life and went to rehab several times. During a 2007 interview with ABC’s Nightline, he opened up about his situation saying, “I feel like … I really messed up so bad that I wasn’t even functional enough to work for anyone, not even myself. I wasn’t working at all. … My mind was not working.”
Corey Haim died suddenly in March 2010 after a career span of more than 20 years. Although his death was suspected to be due to drug abuse, the autopsy report later dismissed those allegations.
These are the facts of Corey Haim’s death and the significant impact he left through his work.
More details on Corey Haim’s death: Found unresponsive at mother’s home
Corey Haim died on March 10, 2010, after being found by his mother unconscious in his apartment. He was rushed to a hospital in Burbank, California, where he was pronounced dead.
The Los Angeles County coroner’s office confirmed Haim’s death to PEOPLE. Lt. Cheryl MacWillie said that he was pronounced dead at 2:15 a.m. at Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center, which is in the vicinity of Los Angeles.
Police Sgt. Michael Kammert initially said that the investigation so far had not found any evidence of a crime being committed, and L.A. County Coroner Assistant Chief Ed Winter also did not reveal the official cause of death.
Corey Haim’s Last Hours and Different Opinions on Cause of Death
Corey Haim suffered flu-like symptoms shortly before his demise. L.A. County Coroner Assistant Chief Ed Winter revealed to PEOPLE that after midnight, Haim first showed signs of dizziness and lack of balance, and shortly after, he fell unconscious.
“His mom assisted him in lying down and almost immediately he lost consciousness. She called the emergency number and he was declared dead in a nearby hospital at 2:15 a.m.,” Winter said.
Although the Los Angeles Police Department considered that Haim may have died due to “a drug overdose,” the star’s representative, Mark Heaslip, refuted it and said that Haim “was doing really well.”
“He did have problems with drugs, but I have been representing him for a year and a half and part of my deal with him was that he had to be clean. That was the number one priority,” Heaslip said.
Corey Haim’s Last Days: Symptoms and Sudden Collapse
Corey Haim’s agent Mark Heaslip revealed new information about the actor’s last days. When Haim’s condition got worse, a physician visited him at home and observed that although Haim had a high fever, he “actually looked very well.”
Haim rested in bed the rest of the day but to his mom he said he was not feeling well. He had a bit of trouble breathing later on, however, it was not very serious. His mother thought he was just sick and they both fell asleep again.
That changed around midnight when Haim’s mother woke and saw him walking in the apartment and then, to her shock, he suddenly fell down.
Corey Haim’s Cause of Death Clarified as Pneumonia, Not Drug Overdose
Initially, people thought Corey Haim had died of an overdose. But his death was really due to pneumonia, says the LA Times.
Haim didn’t die because of drugs. According to an autopsy, his death was caused by respiratory failure due to pneumonia. It was also stated in the report that Haim had an enlarged heart and his blood vessels were severely clogged.
Haim’s heart had a mass of almost double of a normal one, and some of the vessels were obstructed up to 75%.
The autopsy detected eight types of drugs at very low concentrations in his body, which included both over-the-counter and prescribed drugs, plus a minute quantity of marijuana. Nevertheless, Deputy Medical Examiner Juan M. Carrillo remarked that these drugs “were not the cause of his death,” and he determined that Haim death was “natural.”
Corey Feldman’s Emotional Tribute to His Longtime Friend Corey Haim
His longtime film partner and friend, Corey Feldman, paid a warm tribute to the late actor in the form of an essay for Entertainment Weekly.
They co-starred in a number of movies together.
One of the most memorable loved ones Feldman spoke about was Haim. “Nobody made me laugh like he did.”
“Exactly a couple of weeks before he passed away, he came over to my place for a weekend and we threw a party with friends,” Feldman recalled. “The following morning we were all lounging in our robes, he reached for my hand and said, ‘I just have to tell you how happy I am that we’re able to have this time together. I can see the world through your eyes now, and it’s pretty f—ing cool.’”
Corey Feldman Talks About Losing Corey Haim; The Industry Remembers The Late Actor
Corey Feldman admitted that he felt quite devastated after his longtime friend Corey Haim passed away. He added, “I don’t think I could ever miss someone more.”
After Haim’s death, even his workmates who were very close to him honored his memory. Troy Searer, executive producer of The Two Coreys, informed Today in March 2010 that
Haim’s “heart and …his potential were only …outmatched by his demons.”
Searer also remembered that he had a visit with Haim six months before his demise during which he noted that the actor “seemed very positive” and was at a stage of his career that was going up because he had several small movie parts.
It is worthy to remember that although Haim had a lot of influence, he was very much left out of the “In Memoriam” tributes at both 2011 Screen Actors Guild Awards and the 83rd Academy Awards.
Corey Haim’s Iconic Roles and His Last Film Projects
Corey Haim earned his fame from a number of iconic roles in the 1980s. Some of his notable performances include playing Sam Emerson in The Lost Boys, Les Anderson in License to Drive, and Marty Coslaw in Silver Bullet.
Haim was very upfront about his addictions and made efforts to get help. In the mid-2000s, he appeared in the A&E reality series The Two Coreys with his longtime friend and costar, Corey Feldman.
Among Haim’s last film credits were Det. Lou Andreas in Decisions and Tom MacLean in The Hostage Game (original title: American Sunset).
Corey Feldman still commemorates Haim’s passing, especially on the date of his death.
