Optimus Prime’s Voice Icon Peter Cullen Dies at 85

Peter Cullen, the longtime voice of Optimus Prime and the mopey Eeyore, died at 85 in Los Angeles, surrounded by family. He originated Optimus Prime’s deep, calm voice in the 1980s Transformers series and later reprised the role in films, series, and games, earning a Daytime Emmy nomination for Transformers: Prime. Cullen said the voice was inspired by his brother Larry, a U.S. Marine, and he also voiced Eeyore in Winnie-the-Pooh projects.