Voice Actor Peter Cullen Passes Away at 85
Fans around the world are mourning the loss of Peter Cullen, the legendary Canadian-born voice actor best known as the iconic voice of Optimus Prime in Transformers and Eeyore in Winnie the Pooh. Cullen passed away peacefully at his home in Los Angeles surrounded by his family, his agent confirmed. He was 85. His cause of death has not been revealed.
“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. They asked fans to “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.’”
For millions of fans, Cullen’s deep, unmistakable voice was the definition of Optimus Prime. He first brought the heroic Autobot leader to life in the original animated Transformers series in the 1980s. When Optimus Prime was killed off in the 1986 animated movie, the fan backlash was so intense that the character was brought back. Cullen later returned to the role for Michael Bay’s live-action Transformers films beginning in 2007.
Cullen once revealed that Optimus Prime was his favorite character. “Optimus is my favorite character because it’s been so well received and it’s had such an effect on so many people. Because of that, I hold it closer than any other character I’ve done,” he shared.
Behind that legendary voice was a deeply personal story. Cullen revealed that his brother Larry, a U.S. Marine and decorated Vietnam veteran, inspired his approach to the Autobot leader. His brother taught him that a true hero was “strong enough to be gentle.”
“It was his tone of voice and delivery as a leader, his control that impressed me, and I applied my brother’s attitude toward life to Optimus Prime,” Cullen recalled.
While Optimus Prime defined much of his career, Cullen’s extraordinary legacy spanned generations:
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Eeyore in The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
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Monterey Jack in Chip ‘n Dale Rescue Rangers
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KARR in Knight Rider
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Mario in the original Donkey Kong animated series
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The Creature in Predator (supplying the terrifying vocal effects)
“I don’t know how many voices I have done over the years. I couldn’t be dead on with an answer, but it has to be about 100 different characters,” Cullen reflected in 2008.
For those who grew up listening to him, Peter Cullen wasn’t simply a voice actor — he was the soundtrack of childhood. And now, that unmistakable voice has gone silent.
Rest in peace, Peter Cullen.