Peter Cullen dies aged 85

Transformers voice actor Peter Cullen has died at the age of 85.

The Canadian voice actor passed away "peacefully" on Wednesday in his Los Angeles home, surrounded by his family. His cause of death has yet to be publicly confirmed.

In a statement to TMZ, 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 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 was best known for voicing Optimus Prime, bringing the Autobot leader to life in the Transformers franchise. Starring in the original 1980s animated series, he later reprised the role for Michael Bay's live-action films and various movie spin-offs and animated TV series. He last voiced the character in 2023's Transformers: Rise of the Beasts and a 2024 episode of The Masked Singer.

His career in voice animation spanned six decades. In addition to his iconic role as Optimus Prime, Cullen was also known for voicing The Predator in the 1987 original Predator, Eeyore in the Winnie the Pooh franchise and Thaedus in Invincible, and being the first voice of the evil K.A.R.R. in the Knight Rider TV show.