At the age of 85, Peter Cullen, who many Transformers fans had grown to adore as the voice of Optimus Prime, the fearless leader of the Autobots, passed away.
TMZ revealed the news of Cullen’s demise. The article states that Cullen passed away on August 26. His family released a statement regarding the renowned voice actor, however it is presently unknown what caused his death:
“Peter Cullen passed away peacefully, surrounded by his loving family—and held in the hearts of his many friends and countless fans worldwide. 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.’”
Cullen contributed his skills to numerous other characters and series in addition to providing the voice of Optimus Prime in Hasbro’s original animated series and Michael Bay’s live-action movies. Monterey Jack in Chip ‘n Dale: Rescue Rangers, KARR in Knight Rider, and Eeyore in Winnie the Pooh are important examples. According to TMZ, he even provided the voice of Mario in the 1980s Nintendo Donkey Kong franchise.
Cullen was the voice behind the chic ads for the late-night cartoon and anime channel before Cowboy Bebop star Steve Blum became the voice that a generation of children who grew up watching Toonami would remember with fondness. Cullen most recently played Thaedus in the Prime Video version of Robert Kirkman’s Invincible, which had a Transformers reunion in its fourth season. Megatron voice actor Frank Welker as Emperor Argall, who conflicts with Thaedus.
It would be an understatement to suggest that Cullen had a significant influence on animation and cartoons as a medium. His voice, which brought his heroes to life in ways that surpassed the expert animation and character designs that accompanied them, was a source of comfort and certainty for many. We will miss him terribly.
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