Drug addiction, sex abuse and untimely deaths. While cult hit The Lost Boys defined a generation, in the years since, it has taken on a new significance.
While some of the cast have gone on to thrive in Hollywood, many of its stars have been hit by tragedy and misfortune.
The Lost Boys was released 35 years ago this week – a movie where fans were introduced to a vampire coven stalking Santa Carla.
The classic 1980s flick featured an impressive cast that left an incredible mark on Hollywood and pop culture in general.
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Joel Schumacher’s horror-comedy was a generation-defining celebration of youth – but it has also been shrouded in misery.
Since its release, some of its stars have tragically died, become hooked on drugs and claimed they were passed around a network of Hollywood paedophiles.
Here’s a look at what happened to the cast of the Lost Boys.
Corey Haim (Sam Emerson)
Corey Haim played Sam Emerson in the film and was a huge child star of the 1980s alongside pal Corey Feldman.
But his life was to spiral downwards after he began taking drugs – he confessed he first smoked marijuana on the set of the Lost Boys.
The actor tragically died from pneumonia in 2010, at the age of just 38.
It was feared at first that he died from an accidental overdose after paramedics found him at the home he shared with his mother surrounded by prescription drugs.
Alongside Feldman, the pair became known as The Two Coreys after starring in a string of movies together, but it was The Lost Boys that really propelled them to fame.
But his life was tainted by drug addiction and money problems.
(Image: Getty Images)
Things got so bad for the actor at one point that he even tried to sell his own hair and teeth online.
After moving to LA, he developed a cocaine habit before moving on to crack about 18 months later.
He entered rehab for the first time when he was just 18 and entered a facility roughly 15 times before his death.
He later developed a dependence on prescription drugs.
Corey also alleged he was abused as a child.
He alleged he was raped behind a trailer on the set of the movie Lucas when he was just 11.
Corey Feldman (Edgar Frog)
The other Corey, Feldman played Edgar Frog in the Lost Boys and once claimed that he and Corey Haim were “passed around” by a Hollywood paedophile ring.
In November 2017, he began naming some of the men he alleges abused him and his friend as children.
He said in a statement at the time: “He had more direct abuse than I did. With me, there were some molestations and it did come from several hands, so to speak, but with Corey, his was direct rape, whereas mine was not actual rape.
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“And his also occurred when he was 11. My son is 11 now and I can’t even begin to fathom the idea of something like that happening to him. It would destroy his whole being.”
Corey later said he feared he’d been groomed by Michael Jackson, as he was once a child companion of the pop star.
He made the claims in April 2019, following the release of controversial documentary Leaving Neverland: Michael Jackson and Me.
The star was good friends with Jackson at the height of his child star fame and spent years defending him from allegations of child abuse.
(Image: Getty Images)
But Corey said that after watching Leaving Neverland, which charted abuse claims against Jackson from James Safechuck and Wade Robson, it raised concerns for him.
He said: “It’s the standard grooming process that they describe,” Corey told Rolling Stone in an interview.
“Everything was similar [to what happened to me] up until the sexual part.”
Feldman has continued an acting career in both film and TV and his last movie was 13 Fanboy in 2021.
Brooke McCarter (Paul)
(Image: Warner Bros/Kobal/REX/Shutterstock)
Brooke McCarter starred as vampire Paul in the flick.
He died on December 22, 2015, at the age of 52.
His family announced the sad news that he’d died of a liver condition.
A family statement said: “The McCarter family is heartbroken to share the news that Brooke McCarter passed away December 22, 2015 from the genetic liver condition alpha-1-antitrypsin deficiency (AAT).
“He was 52. Brooke was our loving son, brother, father, cousin, nephew and friend.
“Funeral arrangements are still being finalized. We appreciate your thoughts and prayers during this difficult time.”
Jason Patric (Michael)
(Image: Mediapunch/REX/Shutterstock)
Jason Patric, who played Michael in the movie, controversially started dating actress Julia Roberts just days after she cancelled her wedding to his co-star Keifer Sutherland in 1991, running off to Ireland with her on the proposed day of the wedding.
Jason later found himself embroiled in a custody battle with his on/off partner Danielle Schreiber.
They had been together for 10 years and conceived a son together through in vitro fertilisation.
They separated in May 2012 and Danielle’s attorneys argued that, under California law, Jason was a sperm donor and that as the exes had never married and the child was conceived by artificial means, that he had no custody rights to his son.
He fought for changes to the laws barring his paternal rights and sued for parental rights to his son, but lost the case at trial court level.
After appealing, he became legally recognised as the father in 2014.
He has continued to make movies and his latest movie Nightshade was released in 2022.
Kiefer Sutherland (David)
(Image: Matt Baron/REX/Shutterstock)
Kiefer Sutherland, who played head vampire David, began a relationship with Julia Roberts in 1990 after they met on the set of movie Flatliners.
They announced their engagement in August of that year and were due to marry in an elaborate ceremony on June 14, 1991.
Julia called it off just three days before the wedding, allegedly because Kiefer had been meeting a go-go dancer.
He denied having an affair.
On the day the wedding was supposed to happen, Julia went to Ireland with Kiefer’s Lost Boys co-star Jason Patric.
Kiefer has also faced some legal troubles. In 2007, he was arrested in Los Angeles on drink driving charges after failing a sobriety test.
It was his fourth DUI arrest since 1989. He pleaded no contest to the charge and was sentenced to 48 days in jail.
In 2009, Kiefer surrendered to the NYPD for head-butting fashion designer Jack McCollough following a fundraiser for the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Several weeks later, the pair issued a joint statement in which Kiefer apologised. Police later dropped the charges.
He is engaged to model and actress Cindy Vela. He has had a hugely successful acting career in films such as A Few Good Men, Flatliners, The Three Musketeers, A Time To Kill, Zoolander 2.
He was also highly successful as Jack Bauer in 24.
Jami Gertz (Star)
(Image: Broadimage/REX/Shutterstock)
Jami Gertz played Michael’s beautiful girlfriend Star in the movie.
Now aged 56, she has been a successful actress known for her early roles in the films Crossroads, Less Than Zero and Quicksilver, the 1980s TV series Square Pegs and Twister as well as for her role as Judy Miller in the CBS sitcom Still Standing between 2002 and 2006.
She has been married to billionaire business executive Tony Ressler since 1989 and the couple have three sons.
She and her husband own the NBA team Atlanta Hawks and they have been applauded for their brilliant charity work.
Chance Michael Corbitt (Laddie)
(Image: Rory Gilder/REX/Shutterstock)
Laddie is the youngest member of The Lost Boys and along with his sister Star and Michael becomes human again at the end of the movie.
In real life, Laddie was played by Chance Michael Corbitt.
The Lost Boys was his first movie role and he managed to keep pretty busy in the late 1980s and early 1990s with roles in Pumpkinhead, The Rocketeer, and a recurring part as David Hasselhoff’s nephew, Kyle Buchannon, in Baywatch.
After 1994, however, he basically disappeared entirely. He returned to acting in 2005 with a small part in Marilyn Hotchkiss’ Ballroom Dancing & Charm School, and again in 2014 in the horror movie Hallows’ Eve.
He has made appearances with his Lost Boys co-stars at various horror conventions over the years.
Billy Wirth (Dwayne)
(Image: ADAM S DAVIS/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
Dwayne is David’s second-in-command and basically the poster boy for tall, dark, and brooding.
He’s never actually named in the film, so the only reason we know his name is thanks to the credits.
He ends up meeting his end thanks to Sam and a well-placed arrow to the heart.
Dwayne was played by Billy Wirth, who started his a career as a model, before moving to L.A. to pursue an acting career.
In 1989 appeared on the first season of American Gladiators, but was eliminated during the semi-finals.
He had appearances in some of the biggest shows of the ’90s and early 2000s, like Tales from the Crypt, Charmed, Sex and the City, and CSI: Crime Scene Investigation.
He’s also worked behind the camera and in 2001 he wrote, directed, and produced MacArthur Park, which was featured at Sundance and received several award nominations.
More recently he’s had small roles on both Chicago P.D. and Major Crimes.
Edward Herrmann (Max)
Edward Herrmann played head vampire Max in the movie.
In the movie he seems a normal, nice guy who owns a video store and attempts to attempts to enter a relationship with Michael and Sam’s mother Lucy.
He is eventually rumbled by the Emerson brothers and the Frog brothers who suspect him of being the head vampire.
He dies at the end of the film as he is about to bite Lucy as Grandpa’s truck drives through the wall launching a giant wooden stake that Michael pushes through Max. Max then burns up in the fireplace.
(Image: Startraks/REX/Shutterstock)
Herrmann enjoyed great success as an actor, director and writer and was perhaps best known for his portrayals of Franklin D Roosevelt in both the miniseries Eleanor and Franklin and 1982 film musical Annie.
He also starred in The Purple Rose of Cairo, The Aviator and I Think I Love My Wife.
Herrmann was married twice and had two daughters, Ryen and Emma.
Herrmann died on December 31, 2014, of brain cancer, at the age of 71.
Barnard Hughes (Grandpa)
Barnard Hughes played experienced vampire killer Grandpa in the cult film.
He comes to the rescue at the end of the film as vampire leader Max is about to bite his daughter Lucy.
Hughes had a successful career as an actor playing grandfatherly or authority roles.
He starred in Sister Act 2: Back In The Habit and Cradle Will Rock.
He was married to actress Helen Stenborg and the couple had two children.
Hughes died of natural causes on July 11, 2006, five days before his 91st birthday.
Dianne Wiest (Lucy Emerson)
Dianne Wiest plays Sam and Michael’s mother Lucy Emerson in the movie.
She has a relationship with Max in the film before the realisation he is in fact a vampire leader.
Wiest has won two Oscars for Best Supporting Actress for Hannah and Her Sisters and Bullets Over Broadway.
She began her acting career on the theatre stage in college and didn’t make her film debut until 1980 with It’s My Turn, a rom-com drama starring Michael Douglas.
Dianne has also starred in Edward Scissorhands, Little Man Tate, Practical Magic, The Horse Whisperer and Sisters.
Wiest was in a relationship with her talent agent Sam Cohn for many years and she adopted two daughters Emily and Lily.
Alex Winter (Marko)
Marko was a member of the Lost Boys gang as a vampire, prowling the town of Santa Carla after dark.
Marko is the first of the Lost Boys to be killed after being staked by the Frog Brothers whilst sleeping in their cave.
He went on to gain worldwide fame starring as Bill in the 1989 movie Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventures and then Bill & Ted’s Bogus Journey as well as Bill & Ted Face the Music in 2020.
(Image: Andrew H. Walker/REX/Shutterstock)
He is also a director, writer and producer and has even directed music videos for Ice Cube and the Red Hot Chili Peppers.
An accomplished documentary maker, he has covered subjects like politics, child actors and most recently, the life of Frank Zappa.
Today, he continues his directing career to great success, and has a wife and three children.
Jamison Newlander (Alan Frog)
(Image: Jane O’Neal/Warner Bros/Kobal/REX/Shutterstock)
Jamison Newlander played the other Frog brother Alan.
Jamison went on to play Dr Stone in Sky Harbor in 2015 and he more recently starred in A Tale Of Two Coreys as a police officer.
In 2002, he married fellow actress Hanny Landau.
They have two sons, Nathan Dov Newlander and Azi Sylvester Newlander.
(Image: Getty Images)
The TV star’s career is relatively sparse for being a working actor, with just over two dozen credits in the last thirty years, according to IMDB.
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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
