Peter Cullen, the Canadian actor whose distinctive voice brought some of animation and cinema’s most recognisable characters to life, has died at the age of 85.
Cullen, best known as the original voice of Optimus Prime in Transformers and Eeyore in Disney’s Winnie the Pooh franchise, died on Wednesday at his home in Los Angeles, according to a statement from his family.
His career in voice acting stretched across several decades, with performances that made him a familiar voice to generations of television, film and video-game audiences.
The voice behind Optimus Prime
Cullen first voiced Optimus Prime when the Transformers animated television series debuted in 1984.
His deep, measured delivery became one of the defining features of the heroic Autobot leader. He later returned to the character for seven Hollywood Transformers films released between 2007 and 2023, as well as other related productions.
Cullen’s approach to Optimus Prime was influenced by his older brother, a US Marine and Vietnam War veteran.
His brother encouraged him to portray the character as a genuine hero rather than an exaggerated Hollywood action figure. The advice helped Cullen develop the calm, authoritative voice that became synonymous with Optimus Prime.
Cullen continued giving part of the money he earned from the role to his brother until his death.
Eeyore and other memorable characters
Alongside Optimus Prime, Cullen was widely recognised for voicing Eeyore, the gloomy but lovable donkey in Disney’s Winnie the Pooh productions.
He began playing Eeyore in The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh in the late 1980s and continued to voice the character across subsequent television programmes, films and video games.
His other credits included KARR, the sinister counterpart to KITT in Knight Rider, as well as vocal performances for the Predator in the 1987 film starring Arnold Schwarzenegger and King Kong in the 1976 movie.
Cullen also worked on numerous animated series, including Spider-Man, Chip ‘n Dale Rescue Rangers, Donkey Kong, Alvin & the Chipmunks, Dungeons & Dragons, My Little Pony, DuckTales and Gummi Bears.
A career spanning radio, television and film
Born in Canada, Cullen began his career in radio and television before becoming one of the industry’s most recognisable voice actors.
He appeared on programmes including The Sonny & Cher Show before increasingly focusing on voice work.
His portrayal of Optimus Prime earned him a Daytime Emmy nomination for Outstanding Performer in an Animated Programme in 2011.
In 2023, Cullen received a lifetime achievement award at the Children’s & Family Emmy Awards, recognising his contribution to children’s television and animation.
Family remembers his legacy
In a statement announcing his death, Cullen’s family said he had died peacefully surrounded by loved ones.
They also asked fans to honour his memory by serving their communities and treating others with compassion, integrity and loyalty.
For millions of viewers, Cullen’s legacy will remain tied to two characters who could hardly be more different: Optimus Prime, the powerful and principled leader, and Eeyore, the melancholy donkey whose quiet delivery became part of the character’s enduring appeal.
Both were defined by Cullen’s voice — a performance style that made fictional characters feel unmistakably human.
