Support Corey Parker – Our Beloved Acting Coach

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Support Corey Parker – Our Beloved Acting Coach

Marissa Hoisington is organizing this fundraiser on behalf of Angela.

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Corey Parker Haas (July 8, 1965 — March 5, 2026), was a life-long actor born in New York City to the late John David Haas & Rochelle Parker. Though he returned to NYC as a teenager (where he attended the High School of Performing Arts, and became the youngest member to join the Actors Studio) his childhood was spent mostly in Woodstock, NY — and his young adulthood spent in Los Angeles, CA, where he enjoyed a successful career appearing in such movies as Friday the 13th: A New Beginning, Biloxi Blues, and How I Got Into College. Corey has also appeared on every major television network — with leading roles on ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX, & UPN, and supporting roles on PBS, BBC, HBO, MTV, & USA.

It was in Los Angeles, working on Liz: The Elizabeth Taylor Story, where Corey met his wife of over 30 years, Angela — and it was in her home of Memphis, TN, that Corey found the best place to call home, not to mention the best place to raise a family. It was here that he and his wife came to be members of Forest Hill Baptist Church.

Since moving to Memphis, Corey has taught at The University of Memphis, Rhodes College, and Duke University; he began and ran a monthly acting workshop in Nashville for over a decade; coached actors on Broadway and in network television shows; taught workshops for the Memphis Film Commission; and, though two-thirds of a country away, Corey continued to teach classes based in Los Angeles until his health made it impossible.

Corey passed away peacefully at home, but he lives on in the cherished memories of his wife, Angela, and their son, Baker. He is survived as well by his brother, David Parker, his sisters, Noelle Parker and Carole Fisher, his aunt, Emily Parker, and Corey’s son, Charlie Valentin.

Please scroll to UPDATE section to read latest update. And please share.

Welcome to this page in support of Corey Parker. We are Corey’s collaborators, creative partners, and students. As many may know (or maybe you are just learning it here), Corey underwent hip replacement surgery in the early fall. When the bone was sent to pathology, he received the devastating diagnosis of advanced stage 4 metastatic cancer. This unthinkable news has turned his and his family’s world upside down.

Corey has been a professional actor his entire life and a proud member of SAG for 45+ years. He became recently ineligible for his SAG insurance, leaving his family to face the overwhelming cost of treatment without coverage. Corey is in extreme pain and unable to continue working during this time. His family is now navigating the financial strain of self-pay medical bills, while continuing to work full-time, all while supporting Corey as he fights this battle.

We love this man, this artist, this teacher. There is no one like him. This situation feels like a bad dream, and we can only imagine the challenges his family is facing right now.

Let’s come together as an artistic community to give back to someone who has given us all so much. Thank you for your generosity, love, and support during this critical time. Any contribution, big or small, will help ease Corey and his family's burden and allow them to focus on what truly matters: Corey’s health and healing.

A little more about Corey...

Corey Parker is a Master Teacher and a professional acting coach who has worked for more than 45 years in Los Angeles, New York, Atlanta, and Nashville. He has coached on set for Marvel, and coaches actors on Zoom in London, Sydney, Barcelona, Dublin and Singapore. His actors have won Tony Awards, SAG Awards, and Emmy Awards. In addition to his work at BGB, Corey has taught at Duke University, University of Memphis, Rhodes College, HB Studios, Lesly Kahn Studio, Susan Batson Studio, Michael Howard Studio, and Ruskin Studios. His teen actors have been accepted to NYU - Tisch, Yale, RADA, and USC, among others.

Corey is a lifetime member of the Actors Studio and the Ensemble Studio Theatre. A SAG actor since 1979 and a teacher since 2000, Corey draws from his many years in front of the camera as well as his considerable time spent on stage in New York and LA; Corey’s work also draws from his decades of training from some of the greatest teachers in American acting.

Corey has a unique gift—he reminds us that we are enough.That we are worthy. Through his guidance and training, countless actors have not only grown in their craft, but have also rediscovered their confidence, power, and self-worth. For years, Corey has been our cheerleader, mentor, and inspiration, shaping our careers and changing our lives in ways we could never have imagined.

After years in LA & New York Corey, now resides in Memphis. He has been teaching weekly online classes with BGB and a monthly workshop in Nashville. Corey is adored by all and is cherished within his acting communities everywhere.

READ MORE ABOUT COREY HERE

READ & WATCH MORE ABOUT COREY & THE BGB STUDIO

You can also send a note to Corey via any contribution you make and he’ll deeply appreciate your thoughts. He already does.

From Corey to his BGB class communities:

I want to let you guys know how much I am learning as I navigate this journey. I can’t thank you enough for the well-wishes, the prayers, the many words of gratitude. I didn’t know just what would happen when I announced I would have to take this break from teaching. What has been amazing for me, and maybe for you too, is the realization that we are the only group, the only class like us. We have such a very strong bond and it's touched me very deeply to realize that we are one of a kind. So, as I am working with doctors and trying to stay positive, you guys are teaching me what we are as a group of artists.

Life is certainly full of mystery and continuing into the unknown, committed to your creative journey, no matter what, is a form of open mindedness that is going to invite possibility and further growth forever.

Please feel free to write to me, it means so much to me. Overall there are some good signs in my body and also some signs that insist I stay strong inside. And while I am tired, I do feel very strong inside.

No matter what... Take all that you feel, all you have learned, and continue the exploration, discovery, and growth together. It keeps me stronger.

Corey & Risa from BGB