Peter Cullen Dead: Definitive Voice of Optimus Prime and a Generation’s Eeyore Was 85

Legendary voice actor Peter Cullen, who found humanity in aliens and brought fantasy to life, has died, TMZ reports. The definitive voice of Optimus Prime and a generation’s Eeyore was 85. Born in Montreal, Quebec, Cullen began his career in CBC comedy sketches before becoming an announcer on The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour in 1967. His first iconic beast came as the title character in 1976’s King Kong, but it wasn’t until the ’80s that he found his niche as one of the top voice actors in Hollywood. He became Marvel’s regular for Red Skull and an occasional Bruce Banner/Hulk, voiced K.A.R.R. in Knightrider, showed up as countless additional voices across Scooby Doo franchises, and in 1984, landed a role that he would continue playing for the rest of his life: Optimus Prime in Transformers. As Cullen noted in Transformers Vault: The Complete Transformers Universe Showcasing Rare Collectibles and Memorabilia, he based the character of Optimus Prime on his older brother Larry, who had served in Vietnam. He recalled Larry telling him, “Peter, don’t be a Hollywood hero, be a real hero. Real heroes don’t yell and act tough; they’re tough enough to be gentle, so control yourself.” Culle...