Peter Cullen, voice of Optimus Prime and Eeyore, dies at 85
Veteran voice actor Peter Cullen died Wednesday at his Los Angeles home, leaving a legacy that includes iconic roles such as Optimer Prime in the Transformers franchise and Eeyore in Winnie-the-Pooh.
Peter Cullen, an acclaimed voice actor whose baritone defined characters such as Optimus Prime and Eeyore, died on Wednesday at his Los Angeles residence, his agent said. Cullen was 85.
His family released a statement asking fans to honor his legacy by serving their communities with compassion, integrity and loyalty, and to "be strong enough to be gentle."
Cullen began his career as an announcer on the late-1960s variety show The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour and later contributed to comedy sketches for Sonny & Cher. He went on to voice roles in The Smurfs, multiple G.I. Joe series, the villain KARR in Knight Rider and even provided the clicking sounds for the alien creature in Predator.
He first voiced Optimus Prime for the 1984 animated series Transformers, a role he revisited in the live-action film franchise from 2007 through 2023. Cullen recalled that his older brother, a Vietnam-era Marine, inspired his portrayal of the Autobot leader.
"You’re always auditioning for something in animation that’s a little off of the norm," Cullen told the Associated Press in 2019.
"Optimus is my favorite character because it’s been so well received and it’s had such an effect on so many people," he said in a 2008 interview with The New York Times.
Cullen also voiced Eeyore across various Winnie-the-Pooh productions, including Disney’s The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh (1988-1991). He received a lifetime achievement award at the Children’s & Family Emmy Awards in 2023 and earned a Daytime Emmy nomination in 2011 for his work as Optimus Prime.
He frequently attended fan conventions, noting that parents often became emotional when meeting him alongside their children.
Cullen is survived by his four children, Angus, Claire, Pilar and Clay.