💔 Hollywood Loses A Legend: The Thing Star T.K. Carter Dead At 69

Hollywood is mourning the loss of veteran actor T.K. Carter, best known for his role as Nauls in the 1982 cult-classic horror/sci-fi film The Thing. TMZ reports Carter was found deceased Friday at his home in Duarte, California.

Law enforcement says a call for service was made around 5:42 PM, and a death report followed shortly after. Authorities do not suspect foul play, and Carter’s official cause of death has not yet been released.

T.K. Carter enjoyed a decades-long career that began in the mid-1970s, with The Thing serving as his breakout role. Over the years, he became a familiar face on both the big and small screen, appearing in films like Runaway Train (1985), Space Jam (1996), and Domino (2005).

On television, Carter left a lasting impression with recurring roles including Mike Fulton on Punky Brewster and T-Bone on The Steve Harvey Show. He also starred in HBO’s critically acclaimed miniseries The Corner (2000), later reflecting in a 2025 interview that landing the role nearly didn’t happen until a close friend helped him secure an audition.

More recently, Carter appeared in Lil Dicky’s Dave and The Company You Keep in 2023, proving his talent and presence remained strong well into his later years.

T.K. Carter was 69 years old. His legacy lives on through the many iconic roles and unforgettable moments he gave to film and television.