Transformers Icon, Voice Actor Peter Cullen Passes Away at Age 85

Posted in: Games, Movies, TV | Tagged: peter cullen, transformers

Transformers Icon, Voice Actor Peter Cullen Passes Away at Age 85

Transformers icon and voice actor Peter Cullen, who voiced Optimus Prime for over 40 years, has passed away at the age of 85.

Published Thu, 27 Aug 2026 10:05:11 -0500
by Ray Flook
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In a week that's already brought the heartbreaking news that Dolly Parton and Tim Curry had passed, the news hit the pop culture universe on Thursday that famed voice actor Peter Cullen had passed away at age 85. "Peter Cullen passed away peacefully, surrounded by his loving family – and held in the hearts of his many friends and countless fans worldwide," his agent, Kevin Motley, and family shared in a statement. His family asks that you honor his remarkable legacy by serving your communities and leading others with compassion, integrity and loyalty and always remember 'be strong enough to be gentle.'"

Born on July 28, 1941, Peter Claver Cullen was best known for voicing Optimus Prime in the original 1980s Transformers animated series. Cullen's voice became quickly associated with the character, so much so that he would return to voice Optimus Prime in the 2007 feature film. That reminder of the emotion and energy Cullen brought to the role would keep him in the mix as the Transformers franchise grew over the next nearly 20 years.

But to define Cullen's body of work by the "Transformers" alone would be doing the voice actor a disservice. Over the course of his nearly 60-year career, Cullen's voice graced a wide array of projects across radio, television, film, video games, and more. Disney fans remember Cullen as the voice of Eeyore in the "Winnie the Pooh" franchise, and as the voice of Monterey Jack in Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers. While doing research for this piece, we learned that Cullen was the original voice of KARR in NBC's Knight Rider and voiced three characters on G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero while also working on "Transformers." Recently, Cullen voiced the character Thaedeus in Prime Video's animated adaptation of the Invincible comic book series, appearing in seven episodes.

During a 2018 interview, Cullen was asked what advice he would give to those looking to get into voice acting and those just starting out in the industry. "Well, never give up. And if it's specifically voice-over, as I started with cartoons, don't be limited to one voice," Cullen shared. "The human voice is an instrument. Like any musical instrument, you have to learn how to play it. It's a question of controlling the air, it's a question of resonance, how do you get high, how do you get low, how do you get nasal, how do you get hollow, and practicing that. And never give it. Do it until you drive people nuts the way that I did when I was a kid. That means doing sounds too, whether that means animals or mechanical noises or sounds."

He continued, "Frank Welker and I hang around on occasion, and he is the king of voiceover and sounds. He is a magician, its almost like going to a concert hearing Pavarotti sing. He's just brilliant and you just end up with a smile on your face. People like that are the most important people in the world to me. Remember, you'll never work a day in your life if you're doing something you love, so learn how to use it. And go for it, never give up."

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