Peter Cullen, Voice of Optimus Prime, Dead at 85

Published Aug 27, 2026, 10:36 AM EDT A cinematic obsessive with the filmic palate of a starving raccoon, Rob London will watch pretty much anything once. With a mind like a steel trap, he's an endless fount of movie and TV trivia, borne from a misspent youth of watching monster movies on TV, perusing the sun-faded goods at the local video rental shop, and staining his fingers with ink from the Video Movie Guide. Areas of interest include science fiction, film noir, horror flicks, '70s disaster pictures, Bond movies, '90s action, giant robots, dinosaurs, super heroes, and the exuberantly schlocky output of Cannon Films. He also enjoys both Star Trek and Star Wars when they're good, and maybe even more when they're bad. As a Canadian, he also has a vested interest in Canadian movies and TV shows, especially the cheesier ones dubbed "Canuxploitation." An expert on Marvel Comics, he has also written for the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe, and is a member of the Marvel Research Team. He can frequently be found pontificating on comic-book continuity or bemoaning the misfortunes of the Toronto Maple Leafs on his Twitter account. Peter Cullen, the voice actor whose powerful tones graced the world of animation for decades, has died. Cullen's signature role was the gallant Optimus Prime, from the Transformers franchise, which he voiced across multiple TV series and movies. Cullen was 85. Peter Claver Cullen was born in Montreal, Quebec on July 28, 1941. He got his start in radio and TV comedy, appearing on The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour and The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour. His deep, resonant voice made him a popular announcer, and he soon found his way to voice acting. His early roles included the villainous Venger on Dungeons & Dragons, the roars of the title monster in the 1976 remake of King Kong, and multiple roles on Voltron: Defender of the Universe. In 1984, Cullen auditioned for the role that would go on to define his career. Asked to portray the heroic Autobot leader Optimus Prime on The Transformers, he based the character on his brother Larry, a captain in the Marine Corps. Cullen won the role (as well as Prime's Southern-accented aide, Ironhide), and would go on to play it across two episodes of the animated series and the theatrical Transformers: The Movie, in which Prime was killed off in a final duel with the evil Megatron (voiced by Cullen's longtime friend, Frank Welker). Cullen was unaware of the character's popularity with the public until there was an outpouring of support for Prime's return, which happened in short order. Cullen would later be called back into action to voice the character in seven live-action films, starting with 2007's Transformers, and also reprised the role in three animated series. Optimus Prime isn't the only iconic role Cullen created. He was also tapped to provide the alien vocalizations for the title creature in 1987's Predator. While the producers expected roars and cries, Cullen's voice was shot from recording several reels of ape birthing noises in King Kong Lives. After much pestering, he was given a look at the then-top-secret design for the creature, and was inspired by its resemblance to an upturned horseshoe crab; Cullen then came up with the alien pops and clicks that have defined the creature for decades. After Transformers ended, Cullen found himself as part of another memorable childhood franchise, voicing the morose Eeyore in The New Adventures of Winnie-the-Pooh, and several subsequent projects. In recent years, apart from his Transformers work, he appeared in several episodes of Prime Video's Invincible, once more starring alongside Welker. Welker died at his home in Los Angeles, surrounded by family. He is survived by his four children and three grandchildren. Collider extends our sympathies to Cullen's family and friends, and to all those affected by his work. Release Date July 3, 2007 Cast Mark Ryan Bumblebee (Voice) Peter Cullen Optimus Prime (voice) Runtime 144 minutes Director Michael Bay Writers Alex Kurtzman, Roberto Orci, John Rogers Producers Don Murphy, Ian Bryce, Lorenzo di Bonaventura, Steven Spielberg, Tom DeSanto, Brian Goldner