T.K. Carter, the veteran actor and comedian known for scene-stealing roles in The Thing, Runaway Train, and Punky Brewster, has died. He was 69.
According to a statement obtained by People from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, Carter was found deceased at his home in Duarte, California, after deputies responded to a service call around 5:42 p.m. on Friday, January 9. Authorities noted that no foul play was suspected. No additional details regarding the cause of death were released.
Born on December 14, 1956, and raised in Los Angeles, Carter began performing at a remarkably young age. He started acting in his pre-teens and was already doing stand-up comedy by 12, according to IMDb. By high school, he had appeared in theater productions and earned a role in Neil Simon’s The Odd Couple.
After graduating, Carter continued honing his craft on the comedy circuit, performing at the Comedy Store in Los Angeles and training at venues including the Improvisation Cafe and Ye Little Club.
Carter began landing on-screen roles in the 1970s, appearing in series such as Police Woman, The Waltons, and The Jeffersons. His big-screen breakthrough came in 1982, when he played Nauls, the cook, in John Carpenter’s cult-classic horror film The Thing. He later starred as Dave Prince in the 1985 thriller Runaway Train.
Around the same time, Carter became a familiar face on television thanks to his recurring role as Mike Fulton on Punky Brewster, which he appeared on for two seasons. He also starred in the short-lived sitcom Just Our Luck.
In the 1990s, Carter played Iceman in Ski Patrol and voiced Nawt in Space Jam. He also guest-starred on a wide range of TV series, including Moesha, The Steve Harvey Show, The Nanny, and NYPD Blue.
His career continued into the 2000s and beyond, with appearances in The Corner and a variety of independent films, followed by TV roles in Everybody Hates Chris, How to Get Away with Murder, Saints & Sinners, and The Bobby Brown Story.
Carter remained active into the early 2020s, appearing on Stumptown, Dave, and Fake Friends. His final television credit was on The Company You Keep in 2023.
