Peter Cullen, the Canadian voice actor whose performance as Optimus Prime helped turn Transformers into a global phenomenon, has died at his home in Los Angeles at the age of 85, with the cause of death still unknown, according to his family and representatives.
News of Cullen's death emerged on Wednesday, when his agent, Kevin Motley, confirmed the actor had died peacefully at home. His family said in a statement that he was 'surrounded by his loving family, and held in the hearts of his many friends and countless fans worldwide'.
They asked that his legacy be honoured by 'serving your communities and leading others with compassion, integrity and loyalty' and by remembering his guiding line, 'be strong enough to be gentle'. Claims circulating on social media about the circumstances of his death have not been independently verified.
Cullen was the voice of Optimus Prime for four decades, first in the syndicated 1984-87 animated series The Transformers, then across a long line of films, spin-offs and video games. He later said he auditioned 'like everybody else' after being told only that the character was 'a hero' and 'a truck'.
When Optimus was killed off in The Transformers: The Movie in 1986, fan backlash was intense enough that producers brought Cullen back for The Transformers: The Return of Optimus Prime the following year.
Two decades later, when Michael Bay rebooted the franchise with 2007's live-action Transformers, Cullen returned to the role, which he likened to slipping into 'an old pair of very comfortable shoes'.
The film took $709.7 million worldwide and led to sequels including Revenge of the Fallen, Dark of the Moon and Age of Extinction, the latter two crossing $1.1 billion each.
He continued voicing Optimus into his eighties in The Last Knight, Bumblebee and Rise of the Beasts. He also voiced the character in animated series and video games.
Cullen's career began well before Transformers. The Montreal-born actor worked in radio, sketch comedy and live-action television, serving as announcer on The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour and The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour.
He voiced King Kong in the 1976 remake and the villain K.A.R.R. in Knight Rider, and provided the vocal effects for the creature in Predator after asking to see the design first. From 1988's The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh onwards, he also voiced Eeyore across numerous films and specials.
He also voiced characters including Monterey Jack in Chip 'n Dale Rescue Rangers and roles in the Voltron series. He received a Daytime Emmy nomination for Transformers: Prime and was honoured through NASA's Optimus Prime Spinoff Award, which recognises contributions encouraging students in science and technology.
Cullen said he based Optimus Prime's quiet authority on his older brother Larry, a decorated US Marine who returned from Vietnam a changed, more reserved man and, in Peter's eyes, a real-life hero. He is survived by his children Angus, Claire, Pilar and Clay, a stunt performer and coordinator.
In one of his later reflections on the franchise, Cullen described Transformers as 'mind-shaking' and said being part of it left him 'glad' he had done something that stood out.
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