Peter Cullen, the actor who voiced Optimus Prime in Transformers for more than four decades, died on Wednesday (August 26). He was 85.
Cullen’s agent told TMZ that he died at his Los Angeles home, but a cause of death was not shared.
“Peter Cullen passed away peacefully, surrounded by his loving family - and held in the hearts of his many friends and countless fans worldwide,” Cullen’s family said in a statement shared with the outlet. “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.’”
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Cullen’s career spanned decades across several characters. His most iconic role was voicing the Autobot leader Optimus Prime in numerous Transformers films, TV shows, and video games.
“I auditioned like everybody else,” he said in a 2014 interview with NPR. “I was told it was a hero, and I was told it was a truck.”
Cullen told NPR at the time that he talked about the audition with his brother Larry, a Marine had just returned from Vietnam, who encouraged him not to do “a Hollywood stereotypical thing with the yelling and screaming.”
Another one of his widely-known characters was Eeyore in several Winnie the Pooh projects.
“I enjoyed doing Eeyore because he was simply charming. And 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,’” he told NPR.
Cullen also provided the voice for King Kong in the 1976 film remake and came up with the terrifying, iconic clicking sounds for the creator in Predator.
His animation credits included Ironhide in Transformers, Monterey Jack in Chip ‘n Dale Rescue Rangers, and Super Mario in the Saturday Supercade cartoons.
He was also the voice of K.A.R.R. in Knight Rider, Coran and King Alfor in Lion Voltron, Ramrod in Saber Rider, and more.
Cullen is survived by his children Angus, Claire, Pilar, and Clay.
