Peter Cullen, voice of Optimus Prime and Eeyore, dies at 85

The veteran performer’s resonant voice became inseparable from the Transformers leader across generations of animation and film.

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BY SPILL NEWSROOM · PUBLISHED Aug 27, 2026 · 8:10 PM

The veteran performer’s resonant voice became inseparable from the Transformers leader across generations of animation and film.

Peter Cullen, the prolific voice actor best known as Optimus Prime in the Transformers franchise and Eeyore in Winnie-the-Pooh projects, has died at 85.

Cullen died Wednesday, August 26, at his Los Angeles home, according to his agent, Kevin Motley. In a family statement, relatives asked people to remember his legacy through compassion, integrity and loyalty, invoking the guiding idea associated with his most famous character: strength paired with gentleness.

After beginning his career in television and as an announcer, Cullen became a defining presence in animation. He originated the voice of Optimus Prime for the 1984 Transformers series and returned to the role for the live-action film franchise, including 2023’s Transformers: Rise of the Beasts. His other credits included Eeyore, Knight Rider’s KARR and voice work in King Kong and numerous animated series.

Cullen said his approach to Optimus Prime was shaped by his older brother Larry, a U.S. Marine veteran. The performance turned a toy-line character into an enduring screen figure, with Cullen’s measured delivery remaining central to the character’s identity for more than four decades.