The Late Great Terry Carter

Terry Carter, who played Private Sugarman on The Phil Silvers Show, Sgt. Joe Broadhusrt on McCloud, and Colonel Tigh on Battlestar Galactica, died yesterday, April 23 2024, at the age of 95.

Terry Carter was born John Everett DeCoste in Brooklyn, New York on December 16 1928. He He graduated from Stuyvesant High School in Manhattan in 1946. He attended Northeastern University and then studied law at St. John's University. He left to become an actor.

Terry Carter made his debut on Broadway in 1954 in Mrs. Patterson. In the Fifties he also appeared in Finian's Rainbow. He made his television debut in an episode of Playwrights '56 in 1955. It was only a few days later that he began his stint playing Private Sugarman on The Phil Silvers Show. He remained with the show for the entirety of its run. He also guest starred on the shows The Big Story, Playhouse 90, First Person, and Play of the Week. He also appeared in a television production of The Green Pastures.

In the Sixties Terry Carter appeared on Broadway in Kwamina. In 1961 he made his movie debut in Parrish. He also appeared in the movie Nerosubianco (1969). He guest starred on the shows Naked City, Breaking Point, Dr. Kildare, For the People, Combat!, The Defenders, Julia, That Girl, The Bold Ones: The New Doctors, Bracken's World, Mannix, and The Most Deadly Game. He began his stint playing Sgt. Broadhust on McCloud.

In the Seventies he continued to star on McCloud until the show ended its run in 1977. He starred as Colonel Tigh on Battlestar Galactica during that show's single season. He guest starred on the shows Search and The Cop and the Kid. He appeared in the movies Brother on the Run (1973), Foxy Brown (1974), Benji (1974), and Abby (1974). 

In the Eighties Terry Carter guest starred on the shows The Jeffersons, Falcon Crest, The Fall Guy, Mr. Belvedere, 227, and The Highwayman. He reprised his role as Joe Broadhurst in the television reunion movie The Return of Sam McCloud. In the Nineties he appeared in the movie Hamilton (1998). He guest starred on the TV series One West Waikiki. He reprised his role as Tigh in Battlestar Galactica: The Second Coming, a four minute short meant to spark interest in a movie sequel to the television series.

In 2001 Terry Carter appeared in the TV mini-series Hamilton, which the 1998 film with additional scenes filmed. . In 2012 he appeared in the movie Hamilton: I nationens intresse.

Terry Carter formed his own production company in 1975, which made documentaries. He directed and produced the documentary A Duke Named Ellington, which aired on the PBS series American Masters. From 1966 to 1968 he was a news anchor on WBZ-TV in Boston, making him the first Black news anchor in New England.

Chances are good that Terry Carter will always be remembered best as Sgt. Broadhurst on McCloud. Broadhurst tended to be a pessimist as contrasted with McCloud's eternal optimism, but always went along with McCloud, even when it contradicted Chief Clifford's orders. Of course, he'll also be remembered as Pvt. Sugarman on The Phil Silvers Show and Col. Tigh on Battlestar Galactica. He also played memorable roles in television guest appearances and movies. He was the only Black actor to guest star on Combat!, playing Archie in the episode "The Long Wait," a somewhat naive truck driver with no combat experience. In the Mannix episode he played Marcus Fair, the late husband of Mannix's secretary Peggy, in flashback. In the movie Foxy Brown he played Foxy's ill-fated boyfriend, a government agent who had gone undercover to investigate a drug syndicate. In Abby he played a preacher whose wife (the title character) becomes possessed by a spirit. Terry Carter always delivered solid performances, even when the material might not have been particularly good, and could play a wide variety of roles.