T.K. Carter, star of John Carpenter’s The Thing and Punky Brewster, dies at 69

T.K. Carter passed away

• Actor T.K. Carter, known for The Thing, died at 69 in California
• No foul play suspected; cause of death is unknown
• Carter is survived by his mother and children

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Hollywood actor Thomas Kent "T.K." Carter, who was popularly known for his role in John Carpenter's 1982 horror masterpiece The Thing, passed away. He was 69.

T.K. Carter’s publicist, Tony Freteman, confirmed the death of the actor. T.K. Carter’s body was discovered at his Duarte, California, home on Friday.

The outlet reported that there is no suspicion of nefarious play. The cause of death is yet unknown.

The publicist said, “T.K. Carter was a consummate professional and a genuine soul whose talent transcended genres. He brought laughter, truth and humanity to every role he touched. His legacy will continue to inspire generations of artists and fans alike.”

Who was T.K. Carter?

T.K. Carter was born on December 18, 1956, in New York City. He debuted as an actor on NBC's crime thriller Police Woman in 1976. Carter's breakthrough performance was opposite Kurt Russell as the roller-skating chef Nauls in The Thing. He appeared in the ABC sitcom Just Our Luck with Richard Gilliland the next year, and he as Mike Fulton in the first two seasons of NBC's Punky Brewster from 1985 to 1986. He provided the voice of Monstar Nawt in the 1996 original Space Jam film.

Good Times, The Waltons, The Jeffersons, 227, Good Morning, Miss Bliss, Family Matters, The Sinbad Show, Moesha, The Steve Harvey Show, The Nanny, Looks Like Old Times, Southern Comfort, Doctor Detroit, Ski Patrol, and My Favourite Martian are among the other movies and television shows in which I have acted.

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His most recent roles were in Ben Affleck's 2020 film The Way Back, Fake Friends in 2022, three episodes of Milo Ventimiglia's 2023 feature The Company You Keep, and five episodes of rapper Lil Dicky's sitcom Dave in the same year.

T.K. Carter is survived by his mother and children.