The voice behind one of the most iconic characters in animation, Optimus Prime, has fallen silent following the death of actor Peter Cullen at the age of 85.
Cullen, who was also well known as the voice of Eeyore in Disney's Winnie the Pooh franchise, died peacefully at his home in Los Angeles on Wednesday surrounded by his family.
The Canadian actor first voiced the heroic, deep-voiced Optimus Prime in the Transformers television series in 1984, a role that would define much of his career.
He later returned as Optimus Prime in seven Hollywood films between 2007 and 2023, as well as several Transformers spin-offs.
Cullen also voiced Eeyore in The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh from the late 1980s and continued voicing the character in several related television shows, films and games.
His other memorable work included voicing KARR, the evil counterpart to KITT in Knight Rider, creating the clicking sounds of The Predator in the 1987 Arnold Schwarzenegger film and providing the roars of King Kong in the 1976 film.
Cullen revealed that his famous Optimus Prime voice was inspired by advice from his older brother, a decorated US Marine and Vietnam War veteran, who told him to portray the character as a real hero rather than a Hollywood hero.
His brother told him that a true hero did not need to yell or scream and should be strong enough to be gentle, advice that Cullen carried with him into his audition for the role.
His performance as Optimus Prime earned him a Daytime Emmy nomination in 2011, while he received a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Children's and Family Emmy Awards in 2023.
Cullen's extensive career also included voice roles in Chip 'n Dale Rescue Rangers, Spider-Man, Donkey Kong, Alvin and the Chipmunks, Dungeons & Dragons, My Little Pony, DuckTales and Gummi Bears.
His family has asked fans to honour his legacy by serving their communities and leading others with compassion, integrity and loyalty, while remembering his famous message to be strong enough to be gentle.
Source: BBC News
