Veteran comedian, actor and Southern California native T.K. Carter has died. He was 69.<\/p>\n
Los Angeles County Sheriff\u2019s Department deputies arrived at the actor\u2019s Duarte home Friday evening after receiving a call about an unresponsive male, the Associated Press reported.<\/a> He was declared dead at the scene. No foul play is suspected, though officials have not yet released a cause of death.<\/p>\n Born Thomas Kent Carter in New York City, Carter was raised in the San Gabriel Valley, according to IMDb<\/a>. <\/p>\n After several small roles in 1970s sitcoms, including \u201cGood Times,\u201d \u201cThe Waltons\u201d and \u201cThe Jeffersons,\u201d he found his breakthrough role in the 1982 horror movie \u201cThe Thing\u201d as the chef Nauls.<\/p>\n He went on to play teacher Mike Fulton in \u201cPunky Brewster\u201d and Clarence Hull in \u201cThe Sinbad Show,\u201d among a host of other film and television credits through the 1980s and \u201890s.<\/p>\n In later decades of his career, he took on consulting roles in addition to on-screen appearances. <\/p>\n He worked with Chris Tucker as a dialect coach on the 1998 film \u201cRush Hour,\u201d and was brought on to the set of the 1996 movie \u201cSpace Jam\u201d to help the film\u2019s star, Michael Jordan, learn lines and feel more comfortable in front of the camera.<\/p>\n \u201cT.K. was a terrific actor, and I wanted him to help Michael with his dialogue,\u201d director Joe Pytka told The Times<\/a> in 2020.<\/p>\n While Carter was best known for his comedic work, describing himself in his Instagram bio<\/a> as a writer and performer \u201cborn to act and make you laugh,\u201d he also took on more serious roles. <\/p>\n He starred in the 2000 HBO miniseries \u201cThe Corner,\u201d a drama in which he played Gary McCullough, a west Baltimore father struggling with addiction.<\/p>\n \u201cI just totally felt for Gary,\u201d Carter told The Times<\/a>. \u201cI\u2019ve had drug problems and cocaine addiction. I lost my father to a drug-related death. I\u2019ve lost a lot of friends. I was fortunate to come out on the other side and get my life together. But I haven\u2019t forgotten. I kept Gary with me all the time. I slept Gary. I breathed Gary.\u201d<\/p>\n As news of the actor\u2019s passing spread, friends and colleagues took to social media with tributes.<\/p>\n \u201cAs a young kid, I looked up to T. K. because seeing an African American actor starring in a major film meant a lot to me. I always felt he was headed for stardom,\u201d entrepreneur Shavar Ross posted<\/a> on X. \u201cI want to send my heartfelt condolences to his family, his friends, and everyone who loved and admired his work. He will always be remembered and respected.\u201d<\/p>\n