Voice of Optimus Prime and Eeyore was 85
Variety • • entertainment
Key Points:
- Peter Cullen, renowned voice actor best known for voicing Optimus Prime in “Transformers” and Eeyore in “Winnie-the-Pooh,” died at age 85 on August 26 at his Los Angeles home, surrounded by family.
- Cullen originated the iconic voice of Optimus Prime in the 1980s animated series and returned for the 2007 live-action “Transformers” film and its sequels, earning a Daytime Emmy nomination for “Transformers: Prime.”
- He credited his brother Larry, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran, as the inspiration behind Optimus Prime’s calm, strong, and honorable voice.
- Beyond “Transformers,” Cullen voiced Eeyore in Disney’s “The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh” and had roles in projects like “Predator,” “Knight Rider,” and the 1976 “King Kong” remake.
- Born in Montreal in 1941, Cullen began honing his vocal skills on a farm during childhood and is survived by his four children.
