Peter Cullen, the Canadian voice actor whose calm, commanding baritone made Optimus Prime sound like the leader every 1980s kid wanted to follow, has died. He was 85.
Cullen died Wednesday at his Los Angeles home, his agent Kevin Motley confirmed. His family said he died peacefully surrounded by loved ones and asked fans to honor him by serving their communities and leading with compassion, integrity and loyalty.
He first voiced Optimus Prime in the original 1984 Transformers animated series. The performance endured through television, video games and the live-action movies beginning in 2007. Cullen said he modeled the Autobot leader's voice and character on his older brother Larry, a U.S. Marine veteran who taught him that a real hero could be strong without shouting.
That was hardly Cullen's only instantly recognizable performance. He voiced Eeyore in numerous Winnie the Pooh productions, Monterey Jack in Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers, KARR in Knight Rider and the title creature's distinctive sounds in Predator. He received a Children's and Family Emmy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2023.
Cullen is survived by his four children, Angus, Claire, Pilar and Clay. For fans, the voice may be inseparable from Optimus Prime, but the quality behind it was Cullen's own: powerful enough to command a room and gentle enough to make people trust him.
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