Voice actor Peter Cullen, known for Optimus Prime and Eeyore, dies at 85 in Los Angeles

Peter Cullen, the Canadian voice actor best known for his roles as Optimus Prime in the *Transformers* franchise and Eeyore in Disney’s *Winnie the Pooh* universe, died on Wednesday at his home in Los Angeles. He was 85. His family confirmed in a statement that he passed away peacefully, surrounded by loved ones, and requested that fans honor his legacy through compassion, integrity, and community spirit, recalling his oft-repeated adage: “Be strong enough to be gentle” .

Cullen’s career spanned over five decades, with defining roles in animation, film, and video games. He first gained prominence as the voice of King Kong in the 1976 film and as a host on *The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour*. His breakthrough came in 1984 with the debut of *The Transformers* animated series, where he voiced the Autobot leader Optimus Prime—a role he reprised in subsequent animated series, live-action films directed by Michael Bay, and video games, including his final performance in *Transformers: Rise of the Beasts* (2023) .

Beyond *Transformers*, Cullen lent his voice to Eeyore in *The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh* and related Disney projects, as well as to KARR in *Knight Rider*, the Predator’s distinctive sounds in the 1987 film, and the roars of King Kong in the 1976 adaptation . His portrayal of Optimus Prime was inspired by his older brother, Larry Cullen, a decorated U.S. Marine veteran of the Vietnam War, who advised him to depict the character as “a real hero, not a Hollywood hero,” adding, “Don’t shout. Be strong enough to be gentle.” Cullen later shared a portion of his earnings from the role with his brother .

The cause of death was not disclosed. In a 2012 interview with IGN, Cullen reflected on his impact, saying, “It’s extraordinary to find out that you’ve managed to influence someone’s life in a positive way. Those moments when people tell you that are priceless and deeply moving” .

Separately, Romanian football mourned the loss of Nicolae Ungureanu, a former Universitatea Craiova and Romania national team defender, who died on Friday at age 69. Ungureanu, a key figure in the legendary *Craiova Maxima* era, was found dead at his home in Sadu, hours after watching a Europa League match with former teammate Nicolae Negrilă. The club confirmed his passing in a social media statement, calling him “a name that will forever remain in the history of the white and blues” .

Ungureanu played for Universitatea Craiova from 1977 to 1987, winning two Romanian league titles and three domestic cups. He also earned 56 caps for Romania, scoring one goal. The Romanian Professional Football League announced that matches in the seventh round of the Superliga would begin with a moment of silence in his memory . Negrilă told ProSport that Ungureanu had shown no signs of distress the night before, though he had been upset by the match result .