Actor Corey Haim, who struggled with sobriety during much of his short-life, died at 38, it was reported today. The apparent cause: an accidental drug overdose. The unPC fact: for several years, it is extremely sad to say, he had “died at an early age” written all over him.

Haim — a talented actor who like many former child actor found the roles and critical comments less than uplifting once he grew out of the age group when he became famous — had an up and down career, finally displaying his charms and personal demons on a reality TV show.

Actor Corey Haim died from an apparent accidental drug overdose after he was rushed to a Los Angeles County hospital early this morning, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.

Haim, 38, was taken from his mother’s North Hollywood home by ambulance to Burbank’s Providence St. Joseph Medical Center, where he died at about 3:40 a.m. PT, according to police Sgt. Frank Albarran.

Haim struggled with cocaine and Valium addiction and was reportedly admitted to rehab more than 15 times.

The Canadian-born heartthrob burst onto the scene in the 1980s and starred in movies such as “License to Drive” and “The Lost Boys.”

Haim was often paired with actor Corey Feldman, even as recently as three years ago when the two starred in a reality-TV show.

The two were known as “the two Coreys” before seeing it all evaporate after public battles with drugs, alcohol and the law.

Corey Haim, for example, went from the lovable little brother in “Lost Boys” to a crack and Valium addict who made reported trips to rehab and then bloated up to more than 300 pounds.

MTV reports:

Following actor Corey Haim’s death from an apparent drug overdose at the age of 38, the Los Angeles Coroner’s Office told MTV News that it will conduct an investigation and examination, including an autopsy.

Calls to both the coroner’s office and the North Hollywood police department, however, revealed contradictory information about the timeline of Haim’s death early Wednesday morning. The police department told MTV News that he was transported to Providence St. Joseph’s Medical Center in Burbank around 3:30 a.m. PT and was declared dead at 3:38 a.m.; the coroner’s office told MTV News that he was declared dead at 2:15 a.m.

At press time, the Corner’s office was unable to provide information about when the autopsy would take place nor when any findings would be released. Toxicology tests can typically take up to six weeks before results are completed and made public.

TMZ reportedthat law enforcement sources have confirmed Haim died of a drug overdose and that his mother discovered him at his apartment complex and called 911. The site also cited unnamed law-enforcement sources as saying prescription-medication bottles were found near his body, and that Haim’s mother said the actor had struggled with prescription drug addiction for years. TMZ also said the LAPD has opened up an investigation into his death.

This will be an ongoing story but it fits in with the story we’ve see far too often: of a young person who gets to experience fame, adulation and fortune but as he or she gets older — and less “cuter” — some of the fame, adulation and fortune falls away. Some of them can make the shift (look at Ron Howard), others just don’t get a break, and others are sandbagged by drug of alcohol abuse and reach a stage where some say they “never had a chance.” In reality, they did have a chance but shedding the drug and alcohol abuse is always chancy — so some of these young stars who give entertainment consumers so many wonderful hours never make it professionally. Or personally.

UPDATE: Here are some images taken off the Internet that show him at various stages of his life:

UPDATE II: Entertainment Weekly has a must-read tribute to Haim. Here is part of it:

Corey Haim is gone at the age of 38. We can’t pretend that we’ve all followed his career in recent years, but when someone touches your life when you’re young — as Haim did with Lucas, which taught us that the strongest kids in school are the ones who walk down that hallway knowing they’ll be teased — you’ll always have a fondness for them. I interviewed Haim twice in the last five years. The first time was in 2005, when License to Drive hit DVD. He was 33, but I remember him pausing our phone chat to ask his mother for a SunnyD. When I brought up the regret he expressed in his DVD interview over his trademark smirk, he asked his mother if he still does it. He sounded like a child, even in his earnestness. I told him that the director of the film referred to him as “one of the best-driving actors I’ve ever worked with.” His response: “I’ve always had a knack for hitting the mark perfectly. Even when I’m walking or running, I’m very good at not having to look down. And I’ve done everything, including snowboarding [in 1996’s Snowboard Academy]. That was the hardest to hit my mark on.”

In 2006, I spoke with Haim and Corey Feldman before the premiere of their A&E reality series The Two Coreys. Early in the conversation, Haim made a raspberry noise, but later, the tone turned serious. “I really feel like I’m absorbing a lot more than I ever have,” he said. “I really feel like I’m taking life more seriously than I ever have, hence the three months of filming, and A&E, our second chance, not showing up late, and hearing that the editors are not sick of looking at our faces and they’re pausing it and cracking up at us all the time. It’s a nice thing because I think work is a very, very, very tricky thing [for me], and I know I’ve passed the point of being Corey the Bad Kid to being Corey the Responsible Man to the best I can. So I think this is my best work because it’s very honest…. Basically, I think it was the most I’ve ever been in control of myself.”

There’s a lot more which reveals the human side about the adult who was struggling to try to regain some of what he had when he was younger.

Americans — the most entertained people in the history of the world (and no I’m not talking about Eric Massa here) — should never forget the young people who they see in the movies and on TV who exercise their theatrical crafts: these are those lucky enough to be talented and to be selected out of the hundreds or thousands of young people auditioned who don’t make the final cut. And NO: in auditions they don’t diss you like they do on American Idol if you don’t get the part. They just don’t call you back.

Yes, those who go onto high profile careers as kids or teens are rewarded but there is a downside — when they grow out of that type, and it gets harder the older they get. They’re not in that type anymore. Or they’ve burned some bridges due to unreliable behavior, hurt their image due to bad publicity or just failed to help the entertainment properties in which they appeared.

Some can’t handle the fame and fortune. And some can’t handle disappointments that may follow when they move to another stage in their lies.

Others try but in the end due to their issues and choices they sadly run out of time.

But that doesn’t negate the hours they spent when they were younger, when they appeared in movies and/or TV at what later would be called their career “peak.”