What price fame? 'Lost Boy' Corey Haim dead

(Courtesy:  20th Century Fox)

Corey Haim, a rising film star in the 1980s, apparently lost his long, ongoing battle with drugs around 5:30 a.m. Central Time this morning.

According to a story posted on the CNN.com Web site, the 38-year-old actor was taken to Providence St. Joseph Medical Center in Burbank, CA, "where he was pronounced dead at about 3:30 a.m. local time."

The death appears to be accidental -- possibly a drug overdose -- according to what CNN could gather from police Sgt. Frank Albarran.

I first noticed the Canadian-born actor when he played the title role of a shy, bullied 14-year-old high school kid in "Lucas" in 1986.  Some of you might remember that a very young Charlie Sheen played Cappie (captain of the football team), the frail, sensitive kid's protector.

Haim's most famous role came a year later in "The Lost Boys."  Haim appeared with Corey Feldman, and their careers and subsequent drug-addition battles would follow them for years.  They joined forces for "The Two Coreys," a reality TV show on the A&E network in 2007, but it was short-lived.

I ran into the two Coreys in an elevator in what appeared to be happier times.  It was Oscar afternoon 1989 in Hollywood when the elevator door opened at my hotel.  Facing me, or actually sort of leaning (or slumping) against the elevator, were Haim and Feldman.

We were all decked out in tuxedos on our way to the Shrine Auditorium for the 61st Academy Awards.  I was nervous because of several fast-approaching newspaper deadlines I would face throughout the evening.

The two Coreys were relaxed.  Giddy even.

Maybe too giddy.