Actor and documentarian Terry Carter, who was known for Battlestar Galactica and McCloud, died on Tuesday, April 23, 2024, at his home. His son, Miguel Carter DeCoste, confirmed his passing. Carter was 95 years old.
He played Colonel Tigh, Commander Adama’s second in command, in the original Battlestar Galactica movie and TV series from 1978 to ’79. Before that, Carter starred in McCloud from ’70 to ’77, as Sgt. Joe Broadhurst, who was often partnered with the titular character.
Carter was born John Everett DeCoste on December 16, 1928 in Brooklyn, New York. His acting career took off with Broadway and Off-Broadway appearances in shows like Mrs. Patterson and Kwamina. He was one of the first Black actors to be a regular on a sitcom, starring in The Phil Silvers Show from 1955 to 1959.
He starred in the film adaptation of Mildred Savage’s novel, Parrish, and played the only Black soldier in the World War II-set series, Combat, from ’62 to ’67. While working on Combat, he was also a newscaster for an eyewitness news show, and a film and drama critic for a station in Boston.
Carter starred in the TV movie Company of Killers, Foxy Brown with Pam Grier, and then appeared in shows like The Jeffersons, Falcon Crest, and 227. In ’99 he returned to his role as Tigh, to play the president in the Battlestar Galactica: The Second Coming short film. His final onscreen roles were the miniseries Hamilton and Hamilton: In the Interest of the Nation.
In 1975, Carter formed his own production company with a focus on educational documentaries. Soon after, he was making documentaries for PBS, the Library of Congress, and the National Endowment for the Arts. Near the end of the ‘70s, Carter founded the Council for Positive Images, a nonprofit focused on promoting cultural and ethnic understanding in media. He served on the board of Governors of the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences for two terms.
He produced A Duke Named Ellington, the Emmy-nominated documentary about jazz icon Duke Ellington. Carter also produced and directed the Katherine Dunham: Dancing with Life documentary about the dancer, choreographer, and anthropologist.
