Peter Cullen, Voice of Optimus Prime, Dies at 85

Peter Cullen, the Canadian voice actor whose gravelly baritone gave life to Optimus Prime across nearly four decades of "Transformers" cartoons, movies and video games, has died at his home in Los Angeles. He was 85.

Cullen's family confirmed he died on Wednesday, August 26, 2026, saying in a statement that he "passed away peacefully, surrounded by his loving family — and held in the hearts of his many friends and countless fans worldwide." No cause of death has been disclosed.

Cullen first voiced Optimus Prime in the 1984–87 animated series "The Transformers" and reprised the role in 1986's "The Transformers: The Movie." He went on to voice the character in every live-action Transformers film starting with 2007's "Transformers," through "Revenge of the Fallen," "Dark of the Moon," "Age of Extinction," "The Last Knight," "Bumblebee" and 2023's "Rise of the Beasts" — a run of nearly 40 years behind the character.

Beyond Transformers, Cullen was known to generations of viewers as Eeyore in Disney's "Winnie the Pooh" franchise and as Monterey Jack in "Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers." His voice work also included several G.I. Joe characters, K.A.R.R. on "Knight Rider" and vocal effects for the creature in 1987's "Predator," across a career with more than 200 acting credits that began with announcing work on "The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour" in the 1970s.

Tributes from fans and fellow voice actors began circulating soon after the news broke, remembering Cullen's Optimus Prime as one of animation's most recognizable and beloved voices.