Thomas Kent ‘T.K.’ Carter, the actor known for roles in The Thing (1982) and Punky Brewster, has died. He was 69.
The actor was found dead on Friday in his Duarte, California home after calling 9-1-1 at 5:42pm, TMZ reported. A cause of death was not immediately disclosed, but foul play is not expected.
Born Dec. 18, 1956 in New York City, Carter grew up outside of Los Angeles, where he began performing as a standup comedian at age 12, going on to perform at the Comedy Store and other notable venues.
Carter was known for his role as rollerskating chef Nauls in John Carpenter’s The Thing, in addition to playing Mike Fulton in the first two seasons of Punky Brewster from 1985 to ’86.
Making his onscreen debut in a 1976 episode of NBC’s Police Woman, Carter also appeared in shows like Good Times, The Waltons, The Jeffersons, Just Our Luck, 227, Good Morning, Miss Bliss (Saved by the Bell: The Junior High Years), Family Matters, The Sinbad Show, Moesha, The Steve Harvey Show, The Nanny and Dave, in addition to voice roles in The Transformers and Jem.
Additionally, he starred in movies like Seems Like Old Times (1980), Southern Comfort (1981), Doctor Detroit (1983), Ski Patrol (1990), Space Jam (1996) and My Favorite Martian (1999).
