Peter Cullen, the actor best known for voicing Optimus Prime in the “Transformers” franchise, died on Wednesday. He was 85 years old.
In a statement to TMZ, Cullen’s family said “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 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.’”
Born in Montreal in 1941, Cullen was a prolific voice actor, but he was certainly best known for lending his voice to the leader of the Autobots in nearly every version of the franchise. Cullen first originated the role of Optimus Prime in the animated series that kicked off in 1984.
He went on to voice the character in several animated projects, and returned to Optimus Prime in 2007, when he voiced the character for Michael Bay’s live action film.
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