Peter Cullen, Voice of Optimus Prime, Dead at 85

Titan of voice acting Peter Cullen has died at 85. His reps confirmed his death to People. “Peter Cullen passed away peacefully, surrounded by his loving family — and held in the hearts of his many friends and countless fans worldwide,” his family said in a statement. Cullen is best known for voicing Optimus Prime across multiple Transformers properties, but the actor also lent his voice to characters like Eeyore, Monterey Jack in Chip ’n Dale: Rescue Rangers, and the Predator.

Born in 1941 in Montreal, Cullen was in the first graduating class of the National Theatre School of Canada in 1963. He broke into voicework as the announcer for The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour. In 1976, he was the uncredited voice of King Kong in the Dino De Laurentiis version of the story.

Cullen’s biggest break came in 1984, when he got the part of Optimus Prime in the original Transformers Saturday-morning cartoon. “I was told it was a hero,” he said of the job in 2014, “and I was told it was a truck.” Cullen not only voiced Optimus but also the Autobots Streetwise, Wingspan, Slugslinger, and Nightstick. He played Optimus Prime in the 1986 film, scarring many a Gen-Xer with the character’s death. The film also marked Orson Welles’s final film role. Cullen resurrected Optimus Prime for the Michael Bay remakes, the Universal Studios ride, and even 2023’s Transformers: Rise of the Beasts. 

Cullen took over the role of Eeyore in various Winnie-the-Pooh outings from 1988 to 2017. “I get an awful lot of reactions from, especially, young kids, when I go up and just say [in Eeyore’s voice], ‘Hello. Thanks for noticing me,’” Cullen said, per The Hollywood Reporter. Other roles included the original Predator in Predator, the voice of the dastardly K.A.R.R. in Knight Rider, and voices for both Ghostbusters and The Real Ghostbusters.

In their statement to press, Cullen’s family quoted the advice he got from his brother Larry before auditioning for the role of Optimus Prime: “His family asks that you honor his remarkable legacy by serving your communities and leading others with compassion, integrity and loyalty and always remember ‘be strong enough to be gentle.’”