Peter Cullen: key obituary facts
Is Peter Cullen dead? Yes. Peter Cullen died on August 26, 2026, at age 85.
Cause of death: Peter Cullen's cause of death has not been publicly confirmed.
What was Peter Cullen known for?
He was a Canadian voice actor (1941–2026).
More about Peter Cullen
Born: 28 July 1941.
Place of birth: Montreal.
Place of death: Santa Monica.
Gender: male.
Occupation: voice actor, film actor, television actor.
Nationality: Canada.
Education: National Theatre School of Canada, Regiopolis-Notre Dame Catholic Secondary School.
Notable work: Transformers, Transformers: Prime, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen.
Children: Clay Cullen, Angus Cullen, Claire Cullen, Pilar E. Cullen.
Career began: 1962.
Also known as: Peter Claver Cullen.
Years active: 1962–2026.
Peter Cullen, the Canadian voice actor known for voicing Optimus Prime in The Transformers and KARR in Knight Rider, died on August 26, 2026, aged 85.
Born Peter Claver Cullen in Montreal in 1941, he began his career in 1962 and became one of the most recognizable voices in animation and film. He first gave voice to Optimus Prime in the original 1980s Transformers series and later returned to the role in Transformers productions beginning with the 2007 live-action film.
His credits also included Eeyore in the Winnie the Pooh franchise, Monterey Jack in Chip ‘n Dale: Rescue Rangers, Thaedus in Invincible and the vocalizations of the title character in Predator.