NEW YORK — A cause of death has been confirmed for “The Thing” star T.K. Carter, who was found dead at his California home last month at age 69.

The actor, whose legal name is Thomas Kent Carter, died of systolic heart failure, according to a death certificate released the L.A. County Department of Public Health and obtained by TMZ.

The certificate listed atrial fibrillation and pulmonary hypertension as contributing conditions.

Local law enforcement previously told TMZ they responded to a welfare check at Carter’s home in Duarte, California, about 22 miles northeast of L.A., in the early evening of Jan. 9. He was discovered dead in the residence, but no foul play was suspected.

In the wake of Carter’s death, his older brother Harold said he was found with an apparent head injury beside a marble table. He noted his brother had been battling diabetes and ongoing cardiac issues in recent months.

Harold remembered Carter as “a very uplifting person, always funny,” whom their family will cherish forever.

While Carter was best known for playing Nauls in “The Thing,” John Carpenter’s 1982 sci-fi classic wasn’t the only iconic work in which the appear appeared.

Earlier in his career, he landed small roles in beloved TV series like “Good Times,” “The Waltons” and “The Jeffersons.” Following the success of “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 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.”

While Carter’s IMDb says he was born in New York and is survived by his wife, Janet and son, Thomas, his death certificate identifies California as his birthplace and states Carter was widowed.

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