Tanzania, Aug. 28 -- Peter Cullen, the legendary Canadian voice actor best known for giving life to Optimus Prime in the Transformers franchise, has died at the age of 85. Cullen died on August 26, 2026, at his home in Los Angeles, according to his agent. His cause of death has not been disclosed.

Cullen's career spanned more than six decades, but his deep, commanding voice became inseparable from Optimus Prime. He first voiced the heroic Autobot leader in the original Transformers animated series in 1984 and later returned to the character for numerous animated projects, video games and the live-action movie franchise, including Transformers: Rise of the Beasts in 2023.

Beyond Transformers, Cullen was also beloved as Eeyore, the gloomy...