Peter Cullen was 85 when he died on August 26, 2026, at his Los Angeles home.
For more than four decades, his voice was that of Optimus Prime, from the 1984 animated series through Michael Bay’s films and recent projects such as Rise of the Beasts. That deep, solemn voice, which he modeled on his brother Larry, a U.S. Navy veteran, became the voice of a leader that millions of children learned to admire without ever knowing the face behind it. He was also the voice of Eeyore in Winnie the Pooh, and lent his talent to creatures such as the Predator and King Kong.
His agent, Kevin Motley, confirmed the news. Cullen’s family did not reveal the cause of death, but said that he passed away peacefully, surrounded by his loved ones. As recently as 2024, he had returned as Optimus Prime in an episode of The Masked Singer, and in 2023 he received a lifetime achievement award recognizing four decades of voicing an icon.
