VOICE OF A GENERATION

Legendary ‘Optimus Prime’ Voice Actor Dies at 85

His family confirmed he died on Wednesday in Los Angeles.

Peter Cullen, the voice behind Transformers’ Optimus Prime and Eeyore in Winnie the Pooh, has died at 85. His family confirmed he died Wednesday in Los Angeles. “Peter Cullen passed away peacefully, surrounded by his loving family—and held in the hearts of his many friends and countless fans worldwide,” his family wrote to TMZ. “His family asks that you honor his remarkable legacy by serving your communities and leading others with compassion, integrity, and loyalty and always remember ‘be strong enough to be gentle.’” Other notable roles he held out of hundreds were, Monterey Jack in Chip ‘n Dale Rescue Rangers, KARR in Knight Rider and Mario in the original Donkey Kong animated series. Cullen, who voiced Optimus Prime for over 40 years, told NPR he was initially puzzled by the role. “I auditioned like everybody else,” he said in 2014. “I was told it was a hero, and I was told it was a truck.” His cause of death is unknown.