Thomas Kent “T.K.” Carter, an actor best known for his role in John Carpenter’s classic 1982 horror movie The Thing, has died, a rep for Carter told The Hollywood Reporter. He was 69.
Carter was found dead in his Duarte, Calif., home on Friday. No foul play is suspected, THR learned. A cause of death has not yet been revealed.
“T.K. Carter was a consummate professional and a genuine soul whose talent transcended genres,” said Tony Freeman, his publicist at MPRESS PR, shared in a statement with THR. “He brought laughter, truth, and humanity to every role he touched. His legacy will continue to inspire generations of artists and fans alike.”
Born on Dec. 18, 1956, in New York City, the actor was raised in Southern California’s San Gabriel Valley. He made his acting debut in 1976 on NBC’s crime drama Police Woman.
Carter’s breakthrough role was playing roller-skating chef Nauls in The Thing opposite Kurt Russell. The following year, he was in the ABC sitcom Just Our Luck with Richard Gilliland, and from 1985-86, he played Mike Fulton in the first two seasons of NBC’s Punky Brewster. In the 1996 original Space Jam movie, he voiced the character Monstar Nawt.
Additional acting credits across film and TV include Good Times, The Waltons, The Jeffersons, 227, Good Morning, Miss Bliss, Family Matters, The Sinbad Show, Moesha, The Steve Harvey Show, The Nanny, Seems Like Old Times, Southern Comfort, Doctor Detroit, Ski Patrol and My Favorite Martian.
His most recent roles have been in the 2020 film The Way Back, starring Ben Affleck; 2022’s Fake Friends; three episodes of the Milo Ventimiglia-starrer series The Company You Keep in 2023; and five episodes of rapper Lil Dicky’s sitcom Dave that same year.
He is survived by his mother and children.
