Optimus Prime voice actor Peter Cullen dies aged 85

Peter Cullen, the actor behind Optimus Prime in Transformers and Eeyore in Winnie the Pooh, has died at 85, according to a statement from his family.

The legendary Canadian performer passed away on Wednesday at his home in Los Angeles. His family said he died 'peacefully, surrounded by his loving family', and asked fans to honour him by 'serving your communities and leading others with compassion, integrity, and loyalty'.

They added 'always remember 'be strong enough to be gentle'.

What many fans may not know is that Cullen gave a cut of his Optimus Prime wages to his older brother for years after landing the role, a detail that traces back to the very audition that made him famous.

Peter Cullen voiced Optimus Prime in the original Transformers animated series beginning in 1984. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images)

How did Peter Cullen come up with the voice of Optimus Prime?

Cullen's brother, a decorated US Marine and Vietnam War veteran, gave him one piece of advice before he stepped into the audition room in 1984: play the Transformers leader as 'a real hero, don't be a Hollywood hero'.

"He said, 'Don't go yelling and screaming. He's strong enough to be gentle,'" Cullen recalled. "And that resonated with me, and I could hear his voice all the way to the audition. When he drops down, when he gets serious, is where I found Optimus Prime."

That line, 'be strong enough to be gentle', became so central to Cullen's connection with the role that his family echoed it directly in their statement announcing his death.

Cullen first voiced Optimus Prime for the original Transformers animated series in 1984, then reprised the role across seven Hollywood films between 2007 and 2023, alongside numerous spin-offs.

The performance earned him a Daytime Emmy nomination for outstanding performer in an animated programme in 2011, and in 2023 he received a lifetime achievement award at the Children's & Family Emmy Awards.

Cullen's performance as Optimus Prime earned him a Daytime Emmy nomination for outstanding performer in an animated programme in 2011. (Photo by Albert L. Ortega/Getty Images)

What other characters did Peter Cullen voice?

Optimus Prime wasn't the only iconic character built on Cullen's distinctive baritone. He voiced Eeyore in The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh from the late 1980s onwards, across numerous television series, films and games tied to the franchise.

His other credits stretched across decades of animation and genre film: KARR, the villainous counterpart to KITT, in Knight Rider; the guttural clicking vocalisations of the title creature in Arnold Schwarzenegger's 1987 film Predator; and the roars of the title character in the 1976 version of King Kong.

Cullen also lent his voice to Monterey Jack in Chip 'n Dale Rescue Rangers, and appeared across a run of beloved 1980s and 90s animated series including Spider-Man, Donkey Kong, Alvin & the Chipmunks, Dungeons & Dragons, My Little Pony, DuckTales and Gummi Bears.

Before his voice acting career took off, Cullen worked in Canadian television and radio, and was a regular presence on shows including The Sonny & Cher Show.