‘The Thing’ actor was 69
TK Carter, the actor known for the horror classic ‘The Thing’ and the television series ‘Punky Brewster’, has died. He was 69.
Carter died Friday at his home in Duarte, California, the actor’s publicist Tony Freeman said Variety in a statement. A cause of death has not been released, but foul play is not suspected.
“TK Carter was a consummate professional and a true soul whose talent transcended genres,” said Freeman. “He brought laughter, truth and humanity to every role he played. His legacy will continue to inspire generations of artists and fans.”
Carter made his professional acting debut in 1976 on NBC’s “Police Woman” and made guest appearances on series such as “Quincy, ME” and “Good Times.” He appeared in several films before his breakthrough role as Naul, the roller skating chef, in John Carpenter’s 1982 horror film “The Thing.” He later had a recurring role as Mike Fulton on the sitcom ‘Punky Brewster’, which appeared from 1985 to 1986.
From 1993 to 1994, Carter played Clarence Hull on “The Sinbad Show” for 24 episodes. In the original 1996 ‘Space Jam’ he played the character Monstar Nawt.
Born Thomas Kent Carter on December 18, 1956 in New York City, he grew up in the San Gabriel Valley of Southern California. He started performing stand-up comedy at an early age.
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 LA Riot’ Spectacular”, “Saints & Sinners” and more.
Carter’s more recent roles include 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 series “The Company You Keep,” starring Milo Ventimiglia and Catherine Haena Kim.
Carter is survived by his mother and children.
