Peter Cullen, the celebrated voice behind the “Transformers” franchise, died after suffering cardiac arrest.
The veteran voice actor passed away last Wednesday at his home in Los Angeles. According to a death certificate obtained by TMZ, Cullen’s official cause of death was listed as cardiac arrest brought on by respiratory arrest.
The document also cited malignant neoplasm of the lower lobe of the lungs as the underlying cause, indicating that Cullen had a cancerous tumor in the lower portion of either his right or left lung.
Cullen is expected to be laid to rest at Forest Lawn on Sept. 9, TMZ also reported.
He was 85.
His family previously told TMZ in a statement that he died “peacefully, surrounded by his loving family — and held in the hearts of his many friends and countless fans worldwide.”
The statement continued, “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 famous for voicing Optimus Prime in the “Transformers” franchise. He voiced the iconic character in the original 1980s “Transformers” animated TV series, and reprised the role in 1986’s “The Transformers: The Movie.”
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Two decades later, he brought his signature deep and calming baritone voice to 2007’s “Transformers” live-action movie directed by Michael Bay, which starred Shia LaBeouf and Megan Fox.
He subsequently voiced the character in every live-action “Transformers,” including “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen” (2009), “Transformers: Dark of the Moon” (2011), “Transformers: Age of Extinction” (2014), “Transformers: The Last Knight” (2017), “Bumblebee” (2018), and “Transformers: Rise of the Beasts” (2023).
Aside from voicing Optimus Prime, Cullen was known for voicing the downcast donkey Eeyore in the 1988 show “The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh.” He continued playing the beloved character across numerous Disney productions for decades.
More legendary voice work Cullen became known for was bringing giant monster King Kong to life in 1976’s “King Kong,” and providing vocal effects for the alien creature Predator in 1987’s “Predator.”
He received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences at the Children’s & Family Emmy Awards in 2023 for his extraordinary contribution to voice acting.
During his emotional speech that later went viral, Cullen shared that the inspiration for Optimus Prime came from his late brother Larry, who was a decorated US Marine Corps captain.
Cullen recalled his brother telling him, “Peter if you’re going to be a hero, be a real hero. Be strong enough to be gentle.”
“Semper Fi, Larry,” he added, referencing the official motto of the Marines, which means “always faithful” in Latin. “All my heart, I thank you.”