Peter Cullen, the legendary voice actor who brought Optimus Prime to life for generations of “Transformers” fans, has died. He was 85.
Cullen died Wednesday in Los Angeles, his agent Kevin Motley confirmed to Deadline. A cause of death was not immediately released.
“Peter Cullen passed away peacefully, surrounded by his loving family – and held in the hearts of his many friends and countless fans worldwide,” Motley said in a statement.
His family asked fans to honor Cullen’s extraordinary legacy by serving their communities and treating others with “compassion, integrity, and loyalty,” while remembering one of his most famous messages: “Be strong enough to be gentle.”
Cullen’s unmistakable deep voice became one of the most recognizable in animation during a career that stretched more than six decades and included more than 200 acting credits.
But no role became more closely tied to Cullen than Optimus Prime, the heroic leader of the Autobots.
Cullen first voiced the beloved character in the original syndicated “Transformers” animated series, which debuted in 1984 and was based on Hasbro’s wildly popular line of transforming robot toys.
He remained with the series throughout its four-season run, which ended in 1987, and also voiced Optimus Prime in “The Transformers: The Movie” in 1986.
For millions of children who grew up during the 1980s, Cullen’s booming, reassuring voice became inseparable from the character.
And decades later, Hollywood came calling again.
When director Michael Bay launched the blockbuster live-action “Transformers” franchise in 2007, Cullen was brought back to voice Optimus Prime — introducing his signature character to an entirely new generation.
The movie became a worldwide smash and launched one of Hollywood’s biggest film franchises.
Cullen returned for “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen” in 2009, “Dark of the Moon” in 2011, “Age of Extinction” in 2014, “The Last Knight” in 2017, “Bumblebee” in 2018 and “Rise of the Beasts” in 2023.
“Dark of the Moon” and “Age of Extinction” each brought in more than $1.1 billion at the worldwide box office.
Cullen continued playing Optimus Prime far beyond the movies, voicing the character in numerous television shows, video games, shorts and other appearances.
His famous voice even turned up in the 2023 video game “Fortnite: Chapter 4” and during a 2024 episode of Fox’s “The Masked Singer,” where Optimus Prime offered advice to contestants.
But Cullen’s résumé extended far beyond the Autobots.
He also became known for voicing the gloomy but lovable Eeyore in Disney’s “Winnie the Pooh” franchise.
Over the years, Cullen lent his talents to a staggering number of beloved animated shows, including “The Smurfs,” “DuckTales,” “Chip ’n Dale: Rescue Rangers,” “Ghostbusters,” “Voltron: Defender of the Universe,” “Alvin & the Chipmunks,” “Donkey Kong,” “Heathcliff & the Cadillac Cats,” “Dungeons & Dragons,” “Gummi Bears,” “Rainbow Brite,” “BraveStarr,” “Spider-Man” and multiple versions of “G.I. Joe.”
More recently, Cullen voiced Thaedus in several episodes of Prime Video’s hit animated superhero series “Invincible” beginning in 2023.
Born July 28, 1941, in Montreal, Canada, Cullen began his career in radio before breaking into American television.
One of his first major jobs came as an announcer on “The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour,” the groundbreaking and controversial late-1960s variety show known for mixing comedy, music, politics and counterculture.
Cullen later became a regular performer on “The Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour” from 1971 until 1974 and worked on other popular variety programs featuring Wolfman Jack and the Hudson Brothers.
By the late 1970s, however, Cullen had increasingly moved into voice acting — a career shift that would eventually make him an icon.
His portrayal of Optimus Prime became so beloved that Cullen remained the definitive voice of the character for more than four decades.
Information about Cullen’s survivors or plans for a memorial service was not immediately available.