ALBAWABA – Voice actor Peter Cullen has died at 85.
Peter Cullen, the legendary voice actor who gave Optimus Prime his unmistakable voice and brought Eeyore to life for generations of Winnie the Pooh fans, has died at 85.
Peter Cullen died Wednesday, August 26, at his home in Los Angeles, according to his agent, Kevin Motley. His death was confirmed by several major news outlets. A cause of death has not been disclosed.
His family said Cullen died peacefully, surrounded by loved ones, and asked fans to honor his legacy by showing compassion, integrity and loyalty — qualities he helped define through some of his most beloved characters.
For millions of fans, Peter Cullen’s name will forever be connected to Optimus Prime.
He first voiced the heroic Autobot leader in the original Transformers animated series in 1984. His deep, commanding voice helped establish Optimus as a character known for courage, leadership and restraint.
Cullen based part of his portrayal on his older brother Larry, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran who served in Vietnam. Before his audition, Cullen told his brother he was trying out to voice a “hero truck.” Larry encouraged him to portray a hero who was strong while remaining gentle and compassionate. Cullen carried that advice into the audition, shaping the personality behind Optimus Prime.
He returned to the character when Transformers moved into live-action films in 2007. Cullen voiced Optimus in several of Michael Bay’s movies and later reprised the role in Transformers: Rise of the Beasts in 2023.
Yet Optimus Prime was only one part of Cullen’s remarkable career.
He was also widely loved as Eeyore, the gloomy but endearing donkey from the Winnie the Pooh franchise. Cullen began voicing Eeyore in The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh and continued playing the character across numerous television specials, films and other projects.
His résumé stretched far beyond those two iconic characters. Cullen voiced KARR, the sinister counterpart to KITT, on Knight Rider. He also created the distinctive vocal effects for the alien creature in the 1987 Arnold Schwarzenegger film Predator.
Other credits included G.I. Joe, The Smurfs, Voltron, Scooby-Doo and Chip ‘n Dale Rescue Rangers. Across a career spanning more than six decades, Cullen accumulated more than 200 acting credits.
Peter Cullen was born on July 28, 1941, in Montreal, Canada. He graduated from the National Theatre School of Canada in 1963 before building a career across television, radio and voice acting.
His contribution to children’s entertainment was recognized in 2023 when he received a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Children’s & Family Emmy Awards. He had also received a Daytime Emmy nomination for his work as Optimus Prime in Transformers: Prime.
Peter Cullen remained closely connected with fans throughout his later years, regularly appearing at conventions and meeting generations of people who had grown up hearing his voice as Optimus Prime and Eeyore.
Following his death, Hasbro also paid tribute to Cullen and his six-decade career, recognizing the lasting impact he had on the Transformers franchise and its fans.
For generations of viewers, his voice became synonymous with heroes, villains and beloved animated characters. Peter Cullen may be gone, but the characters he helped define will continue to speak in his voice for generations to come.
