Peter Cullen: Peter Cullen, the voice actor synonymous with Optimus Prime, has died. He was 85.
Cullen's agent confirmed the news to TMZ. He passed away Wednesday at his home in Los Angeles. A cause of death has not been released.
Cullen's family shared a statement with TMZ. They said he died peacefully, surrounded by loved ones.
The statement read, in part, that he was "held in the hearts of his many friends and countless fans worldwide."
His family asked that people honor his legacy through compassion, integrity, and loyalty.
They closed with a phrase closely tied to his life's work: "be strong enough to be gentle."
Cullen first gave voice to Optimus Prime in the original 1980s "Transformers" animated series.
He reprised the role decades later in Michael Bay's live-action film franchise.
His performance became inseparable from the character, most notably in the emotional closing speech of the first "Transformers" movie.
His career extended far beyond the Autobots leader. Cullen voiced the Predator in the 1987 film of the same name.
He brought Eeyore to life in "Winnie the Pooh" and voiced Monterey Jack in "Chip 'n Dale Rescue Rangers."
He also lent his voice to KARR in "Knight Rider." Decades earlier, in the 1980s, he voiced Mario in the original "Donkey Kong" animated series.
Tributes have poured in across the entertainment industry as fans remember a voice that defined a generation of animated and live-action storytelling.
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