Peter Cullen

Born: 28 July 1941

Died: 26 August 2026

Age: 85

Years Active: 1962–2026

Peter Claver Cullen (July 28, 1941 – August 26, 2026) was a Canadian voice actor. He voiced Optimus Prime in the original 1980s Transformers animated series, later returning to the role in Transformers media in 2007, starting with the first live-action film. He also voiced many other characters across a wide variety of popular media, including Eeyore in the Winnie the Pooh franchise, Monterey Jack in Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers, the first voice of KARR in Knight Rider and the vocalizations of the title character in Predator. He also voiced Thaedus in the animated series Invincible.

Cullen was presented with a Lifetime Achievement Award by the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences in 2023 as part of the 2nd Children's and Family Emmy Awards.

Peter Claver Cullen was born in Montreal, Quebec, on July 28, 1941, to Henry and Muriel (née McCann) Cullen. Cullen's family was of Irish descent, and he had three siblings. He was part of the first graduating class of the National Theatre School of Canada, completing his studies in 1963. His brother, Larry Cullen, a retired captain in the United States Marine Corps, helped inspire Cullen's later voice performance as Optimus Prime.

The Transformers: The Movie (1986)

The Transformers (1984)