Veteran Actor T.K. Carter Dies at 69

T.K. Carter, the veteran actor best known for his roles in the cult horror film The Thing and the TV sitcom Punky Brewster, has died at the age of 69.

According to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, Carter was found unresponsive on Friday evening in Duarte, California. He was pronounced dead at the scene after deputies responded to the call. Authorities said the death is not being treated as suspicious, though no cause has been made public.

Carter had built a long acting career before gaining wider recognition as Nauls, the cook, in John Carpenter’s 1982 horror classic The Thing. He later became familiar to television audiences through a recurring role on the popular 1980s series Punky Brewster.

His film credits also include appearances in Runaway Train (1985), Ski Patrol (1990), and Space Jam (1996), among others.