Optimus Prime voice actor in ‘Transformers’ Peter Cullen dies at 85

Peter Cullen, renowned voice actor behind Optimus Prime in the Transformers franchise, passed away at 85. His agent, Kevin Motley, confirmed his death to the Los Angeles Times, but the cause of death remains undisclosed. Family members shared that he died "peacefully, surrounded by his loving family." They encouraged fans to honor his legacy through compassion, integrity, and loyalty.

Cullen's illustrious career included over 200 credits across TV, film, video games, and theme park roles. Born in Montreal in 1941, he graduated from the National Theatre School of Canada and performed Shakespeare before joining Toronto’s Crest Theatre. Apart from Optimus Prime, he voiced the King Kong giant ape, KARR in Knight Rider, and the alien hunter in the original Predator film.

His most notable role was Optimus Prime in the 1980s animated Transformers series, also known as "G1" or "Generation 1". He later voiced the character in The Transformers: The Movie (1986) and Michael Bay’s live-action Transformers films from 2007 to 2017. Cullen also voiced Eeyore in Winnie the Pooh and played Eeyore in The Tigger Movie, Piglet’s Big Movie, and The Book of Pooh series.

He received a Daytime Emmy nomination for his work in Transformers: Prime and a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Children’s and Family Emmy Awards in 2023. Survived by his four children, Cullen is remembered for his remarkable contributions to entertainment.