Interview: Corey Haim Tells It Like It Is

By Quendrith Johnson
Fancast.com

Corey Haim was papped outside Secret Room 2008 Style Lounge on 627 North Robertson Blvd. in West Hollywood, the gifting suite for Emmy week when Fancast caught up with the Toronto native. Of course the paparazzi stalk him, consider the buzz saw he has been through lately. Victoria Beckham weighs in on dating the Eighties child star back in the mid-90’s; media reports surface of teenage sex abuse suffered by Corey H., as well as Corey Feldman; the flack about the reality show The Two Coreys and its shelf life; reports they ‘will never be in contact again.’ The ongoing ridiculous list of rumor and innuendo obscures the fact that Corey Haim is a veteran actor with a long career. And he is self-made; no famous relatives got him into the business. Plus the 36-year-old is from Canada, which makes what he has done with his career that much more laudable. And Haim has already addressed his public issues (read: relapse) that momentarily derailed his brilliant movie career, so he is kind of media shy at this point. Understandable. Imagine the viral nature of that kind of weird press he has had to deal with, much less the reality of Corey Haim the person.

Luckily the weekend of the Primetime Emmy’s on ABC, the teen-heartthrob turned TV and movie actor took some time out of his celebrity appearance pap moment at the Secret Room’s Style Lounge in West Hollywood to tell us about current projects, what’s up with him, and how Corey Haim, actor, is back in the Hollywood limelight with some major movie releases coming up:

Q: Alright, so you are The Corey.

COREY HAIM: I’m just Corey.

Q: What are you doing now? The show The Two Coreys is –

Yeah, we are working on the first show right now, which they are all talking about. Obviously. We have a video game off that show. It’s at A&E network. But, uhm, I just refuse to work with anybody right now. Well, not refuse… [Laughs]

Q: Were you fired? Or are you refusing?

No, no. I’m saying if we were going to get a job coming up together; of course I would work with anybody professionally. I mean it’s my profession.

Q: So you guys had a blow out, or what?

Yeah. You know about this. If you are press, you should know about this. You know I’m in a feud with Feldman. So let’s play fair. Don’t do that, let’s play fair. I will give you all the intimate details I can, if you play fair.

Q: Intimate details?

Yeah. But let’s move on to another question, okay? Something you don’t know the answer to.

Q: How about this: if you had a dream project that came your way, what would it be?

Well, they already took it, The Day The Earth Stood Still.

Q: Favorite directors you’d like to work with?

Denzel Washington. Spike Lee. Frank Darabont. Frank Oz.

Q: Do you want to stay in TV, because you’re movies, right?

No, no. Well, I’m movies. I do NOT want to stay in television. I repeat. I do NOT want to stay in TV. What I am doing, basically, is focusing on myself. I’m in a video game.

Q: Which one?

You’ll see. You’ll see. I had no name, no part. I invented one.

Q: As far as what you are doing now?

I have been in movies. One of my movies Shark City just came out and I got recast for the lead, paid in full, even though they thought I was ‘too young looking.’

Q: You are young looking, you’re what?

36. I was at the Toronto Film Festival last week. Crank 2: High Voltage is coming out in theaters in a few months. Lost Boys 3 (Lost Boys: The Tribe). Lost Boys 3 is great. Crank 2: High Voltage is really great. Very very high rated, (it’ll go) number one.

Q: Is that Jason Statham?

Yeah. Jason Statham and I, and Amy Smart.

Q: Amy Smart is a great actor.

Yeah, she’s great. Fantastic.

Q: So you’re working and away from all the Hollywood stuff, which is good, right?

Now I’m here. It’s great to be back. I just don’t want to count my chickens before they hatch, whatever that saying is. I’m just blown away I keep hearing people say ‘you’re back, you’re back.’

Q: Tell those people it’s not a ‘comeback,’ it’s a ‘return.’

Yeah, exactly. They say ‘it’s nice to see you.’ And it’s really nice to be seen in the press. It is. I missed this.

Q: People complain about the paparazzi (as cameras flash outside, TMZ-style video rolls), but if you weren’t still in it — they wouldn’t be here right now shooting you.

Of course. And your fans too. Forget about the publicity factor. I have always believed that without my fans, I’m nothing. No one.

Q: In Canada you will always be huge.

The Canadians and Jews, we all stick together! (A Fan comes up through the media crush) — “Can I have my picture taken with you?” Yeah sure — I’ll give you guys (Fancast) my favorite TV shows later.

Coming up: Corey Haim’s Fancast Watching TV…