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Peter Cullen, the actor whose deep, resonant baritone gave voice to Optimus Prime across nearly every iteration of the Transformers franchise for more than 40 years, has died. He was 85.
His death was first reported by TMZ and later confirmed in a statement from his family, following the deaths of Dolly Parton and Tim Curry within the previous 48 hours. No cause of death has been disclosed.
Cullen's family said he "passed away peacefully, surrounded by his loving family, and held in the hearts of his many friends and countless fans worldwide."
They asked that his legacy be honored "by serving your communities and leading others with compassion, integrity, and loyalty," urging others to remember his guiding phrase: "be strong enough to be gentle."
Beyond Optimus Prime, Cullen lent his voice to a wide range of animated projects, including Invincible and Voltron. He was also known for a long-running role as Eeyore in the Winnie the Pooh franchise.
His most defining role remained Optimus Prime, a character he voiced almost continuously since the character's introduction in the original animated series in 1984.
He went on to voice the Autobot leader in every mainline live-action Transformers film, as well as in Bumblebee and Rise of the Beasts, in addition to modern animated series and numerous video games built around the franchise.
Few actors have remained as closely identified with a single character across as many mediums and decades.
According to his IMDB page, Cullen had no projects currently listed at the time of his death. Several new Transformers projects have been reported to be in development, including a crossover film with G.I. Joe and a live-action feature set outside the continuity of the existing films, though it remains unclear who might voice Optimus Prime going forward.
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