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T.K. Carter
A talented black stand-up who branched out into comedy roles, T K Carter astounded critics and audiences with his richly textured portrait of a successful businessman who descends into heroin addiction in the acclaimed HBO drama "The Corner" (2000). While he had demonstrated his dramatic capabilities previously in supporting roles in films (e.g., "A Rage in Harlem" 1991) and TV (i.e., "Billy: Portrait of a Street Kid" CBS 1977), the performer hadn't had a meaty lead before. Ken Tucker in Entertainment Weekly was so impressed that in his April 14, 2000 review, he wrote "Carter's performance here -- the way he conveys hopelessness, guile, and outrage just by shifting his gaze -- is as good as anything you'll see on the big or small screen. . . .