Peter Cullen, famous for voicing Optimus Prime in the “Transformers” franchise, has died. He was 85.
The voice actor’s agent told TMZ that Cullen died on Wednesday at his Los Angeles home.
His cause of death is unknown.
Cullen’s family also shared an emotional statement with the outlet, in which they confirmed he “passed away peacefully, surrounded by his loving family.”
“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,’” they concluded, referencing Optimus Prime’s iconic phrase.
Cullen voiced Optimus Prime, the leader of the Autobots, in the original 1980s “Transformers” animated TV series.
He reprised the role in “The Transformers: The Movie” (1986) as his deep, commanding delivery became inseparable from the character.
He also voiced Optimus Prime in the epic live-action “Transformers” film series directed by Michael Bay, which featured Shia LaBeouf and Megan Fox.
After the first film in 2007, Cullen subsequently voiced the character in every live-action “Transformers,” including “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen” (2009), “Transformers: Dark of the Moon” (2011), “Transformers: Age of Extinction” (2014), “Transformers: The Last Knight” (2017) “Bumblebee” (2018), and “Transformers: Rise of the Beasts (2023).
Cullen remained closely associated with the character through animated series including “Transformers: Prime” and “Transformers: Robots in Disguise,” as well as numerous video games.
He was nominated for a Daytime Emmy in 2011 for his performance as Optimus in “Transformers: Prime.”
Cullen was also known for lending his voice to bring King Kong to life in the 1976 film “King Kong.”
He also voiced Eeyore, the gloomy but lovable donkey, in the 1988 show “The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh.” He continued playing the character across numerous Disney productions for decades.
Cullen also provided the distinctive vocal effects for the Predator in the original “Predator” film in 1987, creating the creature’s growls and other sounds.
By the 90s, Cullen became the go-to guy for animation voices and accumulated an enormous number of credits, including KARR on “Knight Rider” and characters in “DuckTales,” “Chip ‘n Dale: Rescue Rangers,” “G.I. Joe,” “Voltron” and “My Little Pony.”
In 2023, Cullen received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences at the Children’s & Family Emmy Awards for his extraordinary contribution to voice acting.
Cullen’s last voice-acting role was Thaedus on the Prime Video series “Invincible.” He voiced the character in the animated series’ third season, which premiered in 2025.
