Canadian voice actor Peter Cullen has died at the age of 85.
Cullen died Wednesday at his home in Los Angeles. He “passed away peacefully, surrounded by his loving family — and held in the hearts of his many friends and countless fans worldwide,” his family said in a statement, via The Hollywood Reporter.
They ask “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 best known as the voice of the heroic Optimus Prime across the Transformers franchise. He also voiced Eeyore for Disney’s Winnie the Pooh franchise, beginning with the 1988-91 series The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh.
His other notable credits include voicing King Kong for the 1976 remake and the evil K.A.R.R. (short for Knight Automated Roving Robot) on Knight Rider. He is also responsible for the scary clicking sounds that emerged from the mouth of the titular alien hunter in Predator.
Let’s pay our respects to Peter Cullen by sharing some of our favorite scenes, movies, etc. from his filmography. Rest in Peace.
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