Peter Cullen, Voice of Optimus Prime and Eeyore, Dies at 85

Peter Cullen, the Canadian voice actor whose portrayal of Optimus Prime defined the Transformers franchise across four decades, died Wednesday at his home in Los Angeles, his agent Kevin Motley confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter. He was 85.

Cullen's 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." They asked that his legacy be honored by "serving your communities and leading others with compassion, integrity and loyalty," and to remember his signature phrase, "be strong enough to be gentle."

Born in Montreal on July 28, 1941, Cullen first voiced Optimus Prime in the 1984-87 syndicated animated series based on the Hasbro toy line, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The character's death in the 1986 animated film provoked an outcry from young audiences, prompting producers to revive him for the 1987 straight-to-video movie The Transformers: The Return of Optimus Prime.

After two decades away from the role, Cullen returned when director Michael Bay resurrected the property for the 2007 live-action film. He told IGN that year that stepping back into the character was "kind of slipping into an old pair of very comfortable shoes that you haven't worn for a while." The film grossed $709.7 million worldwide, and Cullen continued as Optimus through subsequent sequels and the 2023 film Rise of the Beasts.

Cullen's voice also brought life to Eeyore, the melancholy donkey in the Winnie the Pooh franchise, beginning with the 1988-91 series The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, according to The Hollywood Reporter. His other credits included King Kong in the 1976 remake, the evil K.A.R.R. in Knight Rider, and the creature vocalizations in the 1987 film Predator, for which he created the monster's clicking sounds.

Cullen said he based Optimus Prime's voice on his older brother Larry, a decorated U.S. Marine who served in Vietnam. In a 2006 interview quoted by The Hollywood Reporter, he recalled that when his brother came home, "he was quieter and he was a man and a superhero to me," adding that the voice "just came right out of me, and I sounded like Optimus."

His performance in the first season of Transformers: Prime earned a Daytime Emmy nomination, and in 2023 the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences presented him with a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Children's and Family Emmy Awards.