Legendary voice actor Peter Cullen, who voiced Optimus Prime in the Transformers film series, has died of cardiac arrest. He was 85.
On the 2nd (local time), U.S. entertainment outlet Page Six reported that Peter Cullen died at his home in Los Angeles on the 27th of last month. According to the death certificate, the immediate cause was cardiac arrest due to respiratory arrest.
In particular, the underlying cause was listed as a malignant neoplasm of the lower lobe of the lung. It is reported that a cancerous tumor had developed in the lower part of the lung.
The funeral will be held at Forest Lawn on Sept. 9.
Peter Cullen was known to fans worldwide as the voice of the iconic Transformers character Optimus Prime. He first voiced Optimus Prime in the original 1980s animated Transformers TV series, and he also performed the same role in the 1986 animated film The Transformers: The Movie.
About 20 years later, in 2007, he voiced Optimus Prime in director Michael Bay's live-action film Transformers with his distinctive deep, steady baritone, completing the character's iconic voice. The film starred Shia LaBeouf and Megan Fox.
He voiced Optimus Prime in all live-action films in the series, including Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (2009), Transformers: Dark of the Moon (2011), Transformers: Age of Extinction (2014), Transformers: The Last Knight (2017), Bumblebee (2018), and Transformers: Rise of the Beasts (2023).
Beyond Optimus Prime, Peter Cullen was also beloved as the voice of the gloomy donkey Eeyore in Disney's Winnie the Pooh series. Beginning with The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, which aired in 1988, he voiced Eeyore in various Disney productions for decades.
In the 1976 film King Kong, he provided the voice for the giant monster King Kong, and in the 1987 film Predator he was responsible for the sound effects of the alien creature Predator.
He was recognized for his contributions to voice acting and in 2023 received a lifetime achievement award from the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences at the Children's & Family Emmy Awards.
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