The world is mourning the loss of iconic voice actor Peter Cullen, who died at the age of 85. He was an all-time great voice actor. He was Optimus Prime in Transformers. He was Eeyore in Winnie the Pooh. He was Monterey Jack in Chip 'n' Dale's Rescue Rangers. He was King Kong.
What was the cause of death? None has been reported so far, and in a statement to USA TODAY his agent Kevin Motley had this to say: "Peter Cullen passed away peacefully, surrounded by his loving family – and held in the hearts of his many friends and countless fans worldwide."
We'll update this story with more information as it becomes available.
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This article originally appeared on For The Win: What happened to Optimus Prime voice actor Peter Cullen? Everything we know

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Actor Peter Cullen, who voiced popular characters including Optimus Prime in Transformers and Eeyore in Disney's Winnie the Pooh franchise, has died at the age of 85.
The Canadian actor began his most famous role - as the heroic deep-voiced Optimus Prime - for the Transformers TV series in 1984, then returned for seven Hollywood films from 2007 to 2023 and other spin-offs.
He voiced depressive donkey Eeyore in TV animation The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh from the late 1980s as well as numerous related shows, films and games.
His other memorable voice parts included KARR, the evil counterpart to KITT in TV show Knight Rider; the clicking vocalisations of The Predator in Arnold Schwarzenegger's 1987 film; and the roars of King Kong in 1976.
Cullen received a lifetime achievement award at the Children's & Family Emmy Awards in 2023 [Getty Images]

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Peter Cullen has died at the age of 85. Cullen was a prolific voice actor who played Transformers' Optimus Prime in both the animated and live-action franchises, Winnie the Pooh's Eeyore, the evil K.A.R.R. in Knight Rider, and more. He was also known for voicing the menacing clicking sounds that came out of the monster's mouth in Predator, starring Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Cullen's death was announced on Thursday, August 27, but Cullen died on August 26 in his home in Los Angeles, his agent, Kevin Motley, told The Hollywood Reporter. An official cause of death has not been disclosed.
The Canadian actor "passed away peacefully, surrounded by his loving family — and held in the hearts of his many friends and countless fans worldwide," Cullen's family said in a statement. The family asks "that you 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.'"
Cullen recently played the voice of Thadeus in Invincible on Prime Video. Cullen also played the voice of King Kong in the 1976 remake. His live-action work in the early years of his career included being the announcer for The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour and The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour.
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Peter Cullen has died at age 85
The voice actor was known for his roles as Optimus Prime in Transformers and Eeyore in Disney's Winnie the Pooh franchise
"His family asks that you 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,'" his family said
Peter Cullen, the voice actor known for his work in the Transformers and Winnie the Pooh franchises, has died. He was 85.
Cullen died on Wednesday, Aug. 26, at his home in Los Angeles, a rep for the actor confirmed to PEOPLE. A cause of death was not shared.

#transformers #family

Canadian voice actor Peter Cullen has died, aged 85. He is best known as the voice of Optimus Prime in the Transformers films, TV shows and video games as well as Eeyore in dozens of Winnie the Pooh projects;
His agent Kevin Motley, announced his death to The Hollywood Reporter, confirming he passed on Wednesday 27 August at the age of 85.
He "passed away peacefully, surrounded by his loving family — and held in the hearts of his many friends and countless fans worldwide," his family said in a statement. They ask "that you 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'."
Born in Montreal, Cullen voiced King Kong in the 1976 remake and the evil K.A.R.R. in Knight Rider series. He was also the originator of the clicking sounds made by the monster in 1987's Predator.
He also worked as the announcer for The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour and The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour.

#family

Peter Cullen, the Canadian voice actor who voiced Optimus Prime in the original 1980s Transformers animated series, later reprised the role in the film and TV franchises and also voiced Eeyore in the Winnie the Pooh franchise, among many others, has died. He was 85.
His family told TMZ Cullen died Wednesday in Los Angeles but did not provide a cause of death.
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HOLLYWOOD, CA - SEPTEMBER 30: Voiceover actor Peter Cullen at the Optimus Prime hand and footprint ceremony held at TCL Chinese Theatre IMAX on September 30, 2014 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Albert L. Ortega/Getty Images)
Peter Cullen, the Canadian voice actor whose deep, measured baritone gave Optimus Prime his voice across four decades of the Transformers franchise, died at his Los Angeles home He was 85. No cause of death was confirmed, and the passing was first reported by TMZ.
His family said in a statement, "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 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."
That last phrase — "be strong enough to be gentle" — was the advice Cullen's brother Larry gave him when he auditioned for the role of Optimus Prime in 1984. Cullen based the character's voice on Larry, a Marine veteran, deciding that a true leader's strength should carry warmth rather than aggression. The audition won him the long-running role.
Cullen's animation career began well before Transformers, voicing characters across Pac-Man, Rainbow Brite, Voltron, The Addams Family, and Chip 'n Dale Rescue Rangers as Monterey Jack, and provided the vocal effects of the Predator in the ep 1987 film of the same name. He was also the voice of Eeyore in Disney's Winnie the Pooh properties for years, a role he described as among his favourites. Disney later turned to Brad Garrett for a couple of 2018 productions, though Cullen remained the character's primary voice elsewhere.

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