Peter Claver Cullen, the Canadian voice actor who defined a generation as the voice of Optimus Prime in Transformers and Eeyore in Winnie the Pooh has died at 85.
Cullen died on Wednesday 26, August 2026 at his home in Los Angeles, California . His passing was confirmed by his agent Kevin Motley to The Hollywood Reporter and by a representative to the People magazine.
As of August 27, 2026, a cause of death has not been officially disclosed.
Family Statement
In a statement shared by TMZ and PEOPLE, his 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 honour his remarkable legacy by serving your communities and leading others with compassion, integrity and loyalty, and always remember ” be strong enough to be gentle. “
Tbe phrase “be strong enough to be gentle” was central to Cullen’s life. When auditioning for Optimus Prime in 1984, his brother Larry Cullen, a retired captain in the United States Marine Corps who served in Vietnam, told him “If you are going to be a hero, Peter be a real hero. Don’t do all the flashy Hollywood stuff, do it from your gut.” That advice became the soul of Optimus Prime.
Tributes Pour In
The news, first reported by TMZ, has triggered a wave of tributes.
Hasbro, the company behind Transformer Toys, has released a statement honouring him as the heart of the franchise.
Fellow voice actors including Frank Welker and director Micheal Bay are expected to release statements.
Fans on X wrote :”RIP to one of the greatest voice actors of his generation Peter Cullen.” and “RIP to Peter Cullen, he was the perfect Optimus Prime voice actor and an OG.”
Peter Cullen once said Optimus Prime taught him how to be a better man. For millions of fans, his voice taught us what heroism sound like:
Autobots, roll out one last time.