Peter Cullen, Voice of Optimus Prime, Dies at 85

Peter Cullen, the actor whose voice defined Optimus Prime across four decades of Transformers cartoons, toys and blockbuster films, has died. He was 85.

Cullen passed away Wednesday at his home in Los Angeles, according to The Hollywood Reporter, which confirmed the news through his agent. His family said in a statement that he “passed away peacefully, surrounded by his loving family, and held in the hearts of his many friends and countless fans worldwide.” The family asked that his legacy be honored by “serving your communities and leading others with compassion, integrity, and loyalty, and always remember ‘be strong enough to be gentle.'”

Cullen first gave voice to Optimus Prime in the original 1984 Transformers animated series and stayed with the character through the Michael Bay era of live-action films, reprising the role as recently as 2023’s Transformers: Rise of the Beasts. His gravelly, commanding delivery became inseparable from the character for generations of fans who grew up with the toy line, the cartoons and the movies alike.

Optimus Prime was far from his only signature role. Cullen also voiced Eeyore in numerous Winnie the Pooh projects, bringing a very different, world-weary warmth to the gloomy donkey. His resume stretched across decades of animation and genre work, including Monterey Jack in Disney’s Chip ‘n Dale Rescue Rangers, Thaedus in the animated series Invincible, and years as the narrator for Cartoon Network’s Toonami block, where his voice introduced viewers to Dragon Ball Z, Outlaw Star, Rurouni Kenshin and Tenchi Muyo. Earlier in his career, he provided vocal work for the 1976 King Kong remake and creature sounds for 1987’s Predator.

Tributes from fans and fellow voice actors have been pouring in online since news of his death broke, with many crediting Cullen’s Optimus Prime as the voice that shaped their idea of what a hero should sound like.