Peter Cullen, voice of Optimus Prime, has died.

The 85 year old Canadian voice actor was best known for portraying the Autobot across Transformers media, including the original 1980s animated series and live-action films. He’s also recognized for voicing animated characters like Eeyore in the Winnie the Pooh franchise. A statement from his family says he “passed away peacfully,” and asks that his fans “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’.” Posts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. A free daily digest of the news that matters most. The Verge is a part of PMX Global, LLC, a subsidiary of Penske Media Corporation. © 2026 VM Publishing, LLC. All rights reserved. Sign in to see your notifications or create an account to join the conversation.