08/27/2026
Peter Cullen, the voice of Optimus Prime, has passed away at 85.
Transformers was a big part of my childhood. I can still remember that deep voice of Optimus Prime and you did not even have to be looking at the TV to know who was talking.
As a kid, you just saw Optimus Prime. He was strong, calm, fearless, and always seemed to know exactly what to say.
But as I have gotten older, I have started to appreciate the people behind characters like that a lot more.
Voice actors do not always get the recognition they deserve. You never see their face on the screen, but somehow they can give a character so much personality that the voice sticks with you for the rest of your life.
Peter Cullen did exactly that.
For millions of us, he was not just the guy who voiced Optimus Prime. His voice became part of our childhood.
It is crazy to think about. A man standing behind a microphone probably never realized how many kids were sitting in their living rooms listening to him, or how many of those kids would still recognize that voice decades later.
I was one of them.
Rest in peace, Peter Cullen.
Till all are one.
