Renowned Canadian voice actor Peter Cullen, best known for portraying Eeyore in “Winnie the Pooh” and Optimus Prime in the “Transformers” series, has passed away at the age of 85 in his Los Angeles residence, confirmed by his agent Kevin Motley to CBC News.
Originally from Montreal, Cullen started his career on radio at CKGM before transitioning to television as the announcer for “The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour” on CBS from 1967 to 1969. He lent his voice to the giant ape in the 1976 remake of “King Kong” and provided the chilling sounds for the monster in “Predator” in 1987.
Fans of the 1988-91 series “The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh” may recognize Cullen as the voice of Eeyore, a role he continued in various movies and shows, including the 2002 film “Winnie the Pooh: A Very Merry Pooh Year.” However, his most iconic role was as Optimus Prime, the talking truck transformer, which he portrayed since the early 1980s.
In 1986, there was a significant outcry from fans when Optimus Prime perished in a battle with Megatron in “The Transformers: The Movie.” The character was resurrected in 1987 in “The Transformers: The Return of Optimus Prime.” Director Michael Bay brought Cullen back in 2007 for the film “Transformers,” featuring Shia LaBeouf, Megan Fox, and Josh Duhamel.
During the Calgary Comic Expo in 2015, Cullen revealed that his brother Larry, a former U.S. Marine, inspired the voice of Optimus Prime by emphasizing that a true hero is “strong enough to be gentle.” Cullen’s family, in a statement announcing his passing, urged fans to honor his legacy by demonstrating compassion, integrity, and loyalty while embodying the motto “Be strong enough to be gentle.”