Peter Cullen, the Canadian voice actor who handled the vocals for Optimus Prime in the “Transformers” films, television shows and video games, died Wednesday, his agent said. He was 85.
Cullen also was the voice of Eeyore in many “Winnie the Pooh” projects, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The actor’s agent, Kevin Motley, told the entertainment news website that Cullen died at his home in Los Angeles.
He “passed away peacefully, surrounded by his loving family — and held in the hearts of his many friends and countless fans worldwide,” his family said in a statement. Family members asked that the public “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.’”
Peter Cullen, Voice of Optimus Prime in ‘Transformers,’ Dies at 85 https://t.co/ES8Cul9d4u
— The Hollywood Reporter (@THR) August 27, 2026
No cause of death was given.
TMZ was the first outlet to report the news.
Cullen had more than 100 credits as a voice actor, including Optimus Prime, Variety reported. He originated the Autobots leader’s deep, commanding voice during the 1980s animated series “The Transformers.”
According to IMDb.com, the show chronicled the war between the Autobots and Decepticons. The show led to a feature film and video games, according to the entertainment news outlet.
Born in Montreal, Cullen also voiced King Kong for the 1976 film remake and diabolical K.A.R.R. (short for Knight Automated Roving Robot) on the “Knight Rider” television series in 1982 and 2009, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Cullen also originated the clicking sounds from the monster’s mouth in the 1987 movie “Predator,” starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, the news entertainment site reported.
Cullen voiced Eeyore on the 1988-91 series “The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh,” according to The Hollywood Reporter. He also played the sad, droopy donkey in the feature “Winnie the Pooh: A Very Merry Pooh Year” (2002) and on other shows and videos.
“I get an awful lot of reactions from, especially, young kids, when I go up and just say (in Eeyore’s voice), ‘Hello. Thanks for noticing me,’” Cullen once said.
One of four children, Peter Claver Cullen was born in Montreal on July 28, 1941, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
After doing acting work in Canada, Cullen landed in the United States in 1967 and worked on “The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour.” He also participated in comedy skits for variety shows such as the “Sonny & Cher” program and “The Hudson Brothers Razzle Dazzle Comedy Show.”
Cullen would earn a nomination for a Daytime Emmy Award for his work during the first season of the series “Transformers Prime.”
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