T.K. Carter, the actor known for the horror classic “The Thing” and the television series “Punky Brewster,” has died. He was 69.
Carter was declared dead Friday evening after deputies responded to a call regarding an unresponsive male in Duarte, Calif., the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department told AP News. A cause of death has not been disclosed, but no foul play is suspected.
Carter made his acting debut in 1976 on the NBC series “Police Woman” and went on to make guest appearances on series such as “Quincy, M.E.” and “Good Times” throughout the 1970s. He appeared in multiple films before his breakthrough role as Naul, the roller-skating cook, in John Carpenter’s 1982 horror film “The Thing.” He later landed a recurring role as Mike Fulton on the sitcom “Punky Brewster,” appearing from 1985 to 1986.
From 1993 to 1994, Carter played Clarence Hull on “The Sinbad Show” for 24 episodes. In the 1996 original “Space Jam,” he voiced the character Monstar Nawt.
Born Thomas Kent Carter on Dec. 18, 1956, in New York City, he was raised in Southern California’s San Gabriel Valley.
His additional film and television credits include “Just Our Luck,” “Turbo Teen,” “Runaway Train,” “The Steve Harvey Show,” “Jem,” “He’s My Girl,” “Good Morning, Miss Bliss,” “Ski Patrol,” “A Rage in Harlem,” “Family Matters,” “A Different World,” “What a Cartoon!,” “Rush Hour,” “The Corner,” “Domino,” “Everybody Hates Chris,” “How to Get Away With Murder,” “The L.A. Riot Spectacular,” “Saints & Sinners” and more.
Carter’s more recent roles included Russ in the 2020 film “The Way Back,” starring Ben Affleck; Uncle Jimmy in 2022’s “Fake Friends”; Cliff in the comedy series “Dave”; and Pike in the crime show “The Company You Keep,” starring Milo Ventimiglia and Catherine Haena Kim.