Peter Cullen, Voice of Optimus Prime in 'Transformers,' Dies at 85

Cullen died Wednesday at his home in Los Angeles, his agent told media outlets, adding that the cause of death has not been determined.

Rudy Blalock

Published: 8/27/2026, 3:28:46 PM EDT

Peter Cullen, Voice of Optimus Prime in 'Transformers,' Dies at 85 — Optimus Prime(L), from the worldwide blockbuster film "Transformers: Age of Extinction" is unveiled at a handprint ceremony outside the TCL Chinese Theater in Hollywood, California on Sept. 30, 2014 where the heroic leader of the Autobots was immortalized with the traditional ceremony for Hollywood stars, with Canadian voice actor Peter Cullen (R), the voice of Optimus Prime, dipping his hands into the cement. (Frederic Brown/AFP via Getty Images)

Peter Cullen, the voice actor renowned for portraying Optimus Prime throughout the "Transformers" franchise, has died at age 85, according to a statement from his agent.

Cullen died Wednesday at his home in Los Angeles, his agent told media outlets, adding that the cause of death has not been determined.

A statement from Cullen's family, distributed to media outlets, said he "passed away peacefully, surrounded by his loving family – and held in the hearts of his many friends and countless fans worldwide.”

The family asked that his legacy be honored "by serving your communities and leading others with compassion, integrity, and loyalty and always remember 'be strong enough to be gentle.'”

Born July 28, 1941, in Montreal, Quebec, Cullen graduated in 1963 as part of the first class of the National Theatre School of Canada, according to a biography published by Universal Studios Fandom. He built his early career as a Montreal radio announcer before moving into television and film work, including appearances on "The Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour" and as announcer for "The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour.”

Beyond Optimus Prime, Cullen provided voices for Eeyore in the "Winnie the Pooh" franchise, Monterey Jack in "Chip 'n Dale Rescue Rangers," KARR in "Knight Rider," and vocal effects for the Predator in the 1987 film of the same name, according to his IMDb biography. He also voiced the villain Venger in the "Dungeons and Dragons" animated series and was the first actor to voice Nintendo's Mario character in western media.

Cullen reprised Optimus Prime across the live-action "Transformers" films directed by Michael Bay and was one of only three original 1984 animated series voice actors—alongside Charlie Adler and Frank Welker—to also voice their characters in the live-action movies. He called the role his favorite among his career, once describing it as "slipping into a very old, very comfortable pair of shoes.”

Cullen based Optimus Prime's voice on that of his older brother, Larry Cullen, a retired Captain in the U.S. Marine Corps who served in Vietnam. He recalled his brother's advice before auditioning for the role: "Peter, don't be a Hollywood superhero, be a real superhero. Real superheroes don't yell and act tough; they are tough enough to be gentle, so control yourself.”

Hasbro inducted Cullen into the Transformers Hall of Fame at BotCon 2010 as one of its first four human honorees. His performance in the debut season of "Transformers: Prime" also earned him a nomination for a 2011 Daytime Emmy Award.

Steve Jablonsky, who composed scores for the first five live-action "Transformers" films, shared a tribute on Facebook.

“Peter Cullen inspired every note I wrote for Transformers. His voice and presence set the tone that allowed me to put so much more emotion into those scores. Composing for his legendary speeches was an honor that I do not take lightly,” Jablonsky wrote on Facebook.

Fan and cosplayer Robby Bobertson, in a Thursday Facebook post, described Cullen as a personal hero and credited him with inspiring a life of community service and storytelling. Bobertson recounted meeting Cullen twice, once at a 2014 comic convention in San Antonio and again during a 2022 Hasbro signing at San Diego Comic-Con.

Bobertson quoted Cullen's brother, Larry, as saying, "Be strong enough to be gentle," and quoted Cullen himself as saying, "Hold onto your dreams, the world is built on dreams.”