Optimus Prime voice actor Peter Cullen dies at 85 in Los Angeles

Peter Cullen (Pic/X)

Peter Cullen, the legendary voice behind Optimus Prime in Transformers and Eeyore in Winnie the Pooh, has died at the age of 85. Cullen passed away peacefully at his Los Angeles home, surrounded by loved ones. His family confirmed the news, urging fans to remember his enduring legacy.

Peter Cullen's family confirms his death

His family also shared a statement remembering the actor and said he "passed away peacefully, surrounded by his loving family - and held in the hearts of his many friends and countless fans worldwide".

The family further urged people to remember Cullen for the values he stood for. "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'," they said.

More about Peter Cullen

Cullen was born in Montreal and spent decades working across television, films and video games. While Optimus Prime remained Cullen's most iconic role, his voice work extended far beyond the Transformers universe. He was also widely loved for voicing Eeyore in Winnie the Pooh, giving the gloomy but endearing character a distinctive voice and personality. Cullen also played Optimus in The Last Knight (2017), Bumblebee (2018) and Rise of the Beasts (2023). He even voiced Mario in Nintendo's Donkey Kong series in the 1980s.

Cullen once shared that the voice of Optimus Prime was inspired by his brother Larry, a Marine Corps veteran who he saw as his personal hero following Larry's time in Vietnam. "It was his tone of voice and delivery as a leader, his control that impressed me, and I applied my brother's attitude to life to Optimus Prime."

One of his lesser-known contributions came in Predator. Cullen created the unusual clicking sounds made by the creature in the 1987 Arnold Schwarzenegger film. Early in his career, he was a live-action performer and served as the announcer for The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour and The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour.

Cullen's contribution to voice acting was formally recognized in 2023 when the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences honored him with a Lifetime Achievement Award at the second annual Children's & Family Emmy Awards.

Cullen is survived by his four kids, Angus, Claire, Pilar, and Clay.