This has been an incredibly sad week.<\/p>\n
After losing legends like Dolly Parton and Tim Curry, fans are now mourning another beloved voice \u2014 Peter Cullen<\/strong>, best known as Optimus Prime in Transformers<\/em> and Eeyore in Winnie the Pooh<\/em>. He has died at 85.<\/p>\n Cullen passed away peacefully Wednesday at his Los Angeles home, surrounded by family. His cause of death has not been revealed.<\/p>\n For generations of fans, Cullen\u2019s unmistakable voice was<\/em> Optimus Prime. He first voiced the heroic Autobot leader in the 1980s and continued the role for decades, including the live-action films beginning in 2007.<\/p>\n But his legacy went far beyond Optimus. He also voiced Eeyore, Monterey Jack, KARR, Mario, and provided the creature\u2019s terrifying sounds in Predator<\/em>.<\/p>\n Cullen once said his brother Larry, a Vietnam veteran, inspired Optimus Prime\u2019s personality and the belief that a hero should be \u201cstrong enough to be gentle.\u201d<\/p>\n For millions, Peter Cullen wasn\u2019t just a voice actor. He was a part of childhood.<\/p>\n Rest in peace, Peter Cullen.<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" This has been an incredibly sad week. After losing legends like Dolly Parton and Tim Curry, fans are now mourning another beloved voice \u2014 Peter Cullen, best known as Optimus Prime in Transformers and Eeyore in Winnie the Pooh. He has died at 85. Cullen passed away peacefully Wednesday at his Los Angeles home, surrounded…<\/p>\n