Peter Cullen, voice of Optimus Prime and Eeyore, dies at 85

Cullen received a lifetime achievement award at the Children's & Family Emmy Awards in 2023. Peter Cullen, the Canadian voice actor who gave Optimus Prime his resonant authority and Eeyore his gentle sadness, died Wednesday at his home in Los Angeles. He was 85.

Cullen's agent, Kevin Motley, confirmed the death to ABC News on Thursday. A statement said he "passed away peacefully, surrounded by his loving family." Cullen began voicing Optimus Prime in the original Transformers television series in 1984 and returned to the role for seven Hollywood films from 2007 to 2023, as well as numerous spin-offs and video games.

He also voiced Eeyore in The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh from the late 1980s and in dozens of related shows, films and games. His other memorable voice roles included KARR, the evil counterpart to KITT in Knight Rider; the clicking vocalizations of the Predator in Arnold Schwarzenegger's 1987 film; and the roars of King Kong in 1976. He also voiced Monterey Jack in Chip 'n Dale Rescue Rangers and characters in Spider-Man, Duck Tales and Gummi Bears.

His performance as Optimus Prime earned him a Daytime Emmy nomination for outstanding performer in an animated programme in 2011. The Optimus Prime voice was inspired by Cullen's older brother Larry, a decorated US Marine and Vietnam War veteran. Larry advised him to play the character as "a real hero, don't be a Hollywood hero," and Cullen said the voice came from hearing his brother's serious tone.

Cullen gave his brother a cut of the wages he received for playing Optimus Prime until Larry's death. The family asked that fans honour his legacy by serving their communities and leading others with compassion, integrity and loyalty, and to "always remember 'be strong enough to be gentle'."