Peter Cullen, the Montreal-born voice actor whose deep, measured baritone became the sound of heroism for an entire generation of children, died Wednesday August 26 at his home in Los Angeles at the age of 85.
His agent Kevin Motley confirmed the death. No cause has been announced. He passed peacefully, surrounded by family.
Cullen first voiced Optimus Prime, leader of the Autobots, in the original Transformers animated series in 1984. He returned for The Transformers: The Movie in 1986, whose theatrical release marked the first time millions of children watched their hero die on a big screen and reacted with something no toy company anticipated: inconsolable grief.
Optimus was brought back the following year. Cullen stayed with him through seven Michael Bay live-action films from 2007 to 2023 and into the animated Transformers: Prime series and beyond, 42 years of the same character, the same voice, the same unwavering presence.
The origin story of that voice is the detail that travels furthest. Before his audition, Cullen asked his older brother Larry, a decorated US Marine and Vietnam War veteran, how he should play a heroic leader. His brother said: "Don't go yelling and screaming. He's strong enough to be gentle."
Cullen went to the audition and heard his brother's voice. He gave half his Optimus Prime wages to his brother until Larry's death. "That resonated with me," he told interviewers repeatedly. It resonated with everyone who heard it.
He voiced Eeyore, A.A. Milne's perpetually gloomy donkey in the Winnie the Pooh franchise, from 1988 to the early 2010s, a performance so distinct from Optimus Prime that children who loved both had no idea they were the same person.
He voiced KARR, the evil counterpart to KITT in Knight Rider. He made the clicking sounds for the Predator in Arnold Schwarzenegger's 1987 film.
He roared as King Kong in 1976. He was Monterey Jack in Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers and characters in Pac-Man and Voltron. More than 200 credits across 60 years.
His family's statement asked fans to honor his legacy "by serving your communities and leading others with compassion, integrity and loyalty, and always remember: be strong enough to be gentle." Larry's words became Peter's legacy became the words left behind when Peter was gone.