Corey Haim Would Have Been 40

The '80s teen idol Corey Haim would have been 40 on Friday. The young Canadian, who was one of a group of talented stars born in 1971, rose to fame only to fall into a losing battle with addiction. He died suddenly March, 2010.

In happier times, the youngster first caught notice at age 10 with his 1984 film role "Firstborn," appearing opposite "Sex and the City" actress Sarah Jessica Parker and Robert Downey, Jr., the star of "Sherlock Holmes: a Game of Shadows." The actress remembered her kid costar, telling Entertainment Weekly, ''He was naturally gifted and a real charmer -- I adored him."

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The adoration grew with the 1986 breakout role in "Lucas," which made Haim a cover boy, literally, for teen mags like Tiger Beat. The movie cemented his heartthrob status and starred an A-list cast: Charlie Sheen (formerly of "Two and a Half Men") and '90s darling Winona Ryder.
Corey Haim's rising star claimed a place in '80s film history with his role in the dark, vampire-hunting flick "The Lost Boys," which co-starred Kiefer Sutherland and the other Corey: Feldman.

The Coreys, as they became known, began a bond that lasted on-screen and off for the next two decades. In 2006, the pair -- also the same age -- tried to rekindle their has-been status with a reality show, "The Two Coreys." The series ended after two seasons, with Corey F. saying about Corey H., ''I am not going to watch him destroy himself.''

Corey Feldman also had his best years in the '80s, with hit movies like "Gremlins," "The Goonies," and "Stand By Me," and has lately focused on his band, Truth Movement. You guessed right if you thought you spotted him in Katy Perry's video "Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)."

Haim's other former co-star who turned 40 this year, Winona Ryder, has also struggled since winning early success. The actress gained mega-star status with her roles in "Edward Scissorhands," "Reality Bites," and received a Golden Globe award and an Oscar nodfor her role in "The Age of Innocence." A shoplifting incident in 2001 led to a four-year break from acting, although recently Ryder has emerged for roles in "The Dilemma" and "Black Swan."

While these actors weren't big when they were little, they're having their moment in their fourth decade: Actors turning the big 4-0 this year include "Mad Men's" Jon Hamm, "Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol's" Jeremy Renner and the TV comedy star of "Up All Night," Christina Applegate.

Haim never got the chance at a comeback, but he remained hopeful. He told Entertainment Weekly several years before his death, ''I want to be the guy they talk about when they talk about comebacks. I want people to learn from me, see I'm human, and understand that I make mistakes just like they do, but it doesn't have to consume you.''