‘The Thing’ Actor T.K. Carter Dead at 69

T.K. Carter, known for his iconic role as Nauls in the 1982 horror/sci-fi film “The Thing,” has died, TMZ has learned.

Carter was found deceased Friday in his Duarte, CA residence after a call for service was made. Law enforcement tells TMZ the call came in at approximately 5:42 PM, and a death report was made. No foul play is suspected.

The cause of death has not been released.

Carter had a decades-spanning career dating back to the mid-1970s, with his big break being “The Thing.” Other notable films he acted in include 1985’s “Runaway Train,” 1996’s “Space Jam,” and 2005’s “Domino.” He also landed a myriad of small-screen roles, including the character of Mike Fulton across 2 dozen episodes of “Punky Brewster” in the ’80s and T-Bone on “The Steve Harvey Show” in the ’90s.

He also starred in the miniseries “The Corner” in 2000. He reflected on the project in August 2025 … revealing on “Live from the Green Room” he struggled to even get an audition for the show until his close pal hooked him up with their manager, and the stars aligned.

He last appeared in 3 episodes of “The Company You Keep” and 5 episodes of Lil Dicky‘s show, “Dave,” in 2023.

T.K. was 69.