NEW YORK — T.K. Carter, known for his iconic role as Nauls in John Carpenter’s horror hit “The Thing,” has died at age 69.

The New York-born actor was found dead on Friday at his home in Duarte, California, about 22 miles northeast of Los Angeles, TMZ reported Saturday.

Local law enforcement told the outlet they received a 911 call at around 5:42 p.m. but did not provide additional details. No cause of death has been released and no foul play is suspected.

A representative for Carter did not immediately respond to the Daily News’ request for comment.

Born in New York City on Dec. 18, 1956, Carter grew up outside of L.A., where he got his feet wet performing stand-up from the age of 12, leading to sets at big-name venues like the Comedy Store.

He was 20 when he earned his first onscreen credit, in a 1976 episode of “Police Woman,” followed by appearances on “Good Times,” “The Waltons” and “The Jeffersons.”

Though he had a handful of movie roles in the subsequent years, it wasn’t until his role 1982’s “The Thing” — opposite Kurt Russell, Keith David and Wilford Brimley — that he cemented himself in cinematic history. Even four decades later, the groundbreaking creature feature remains a staple on lists of the best sci-fi and horror films of all time.

Following “The Thing,” Carter quickly landed his first series regular gig as the genie Shabu in “Just Our Luck,” considered at the time a modernized version of “I Dream of Jeannie.” He then went on to secure a place in the memories of TV-watching millennials, with roles as lovable figures on “Punky Brewster,” “The Sinbad Show,” and “Saved by the Bell” predecessor “Good Morning, Miss Bliss.”

Carter’s credits also included guest roles on classics like “Family Matters,” “The Nanny” and “The Steve Harvey Show,” in addition to voice-over work in “Turbo Teen,” “Jem” and as Monster NAWT in “Space Jam.”

He also took on more serious fare, most notably with the starring role in HBO’s harrowing series “The Corner,” which won the 2000 Emmy Award for outstanding miniseries.

More recently, Carter appeared in episodes of “How to Get Away With Murder,” “Dave” and “The Company You Keep.”

According to his IMDb, Carter is survived by his wife, Janet, and son, Thomas.

©2026 New York Daily News. Visit nydailynews.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.