Peter Cullen is gone. I am shocked and saddened. For those of us who grew up on cartoons in the 80s and 90s, this one hits differently. Peter Cullen, the legendary voice behind Optimus Prime, has died at 85. And honestly, it is difficult to think of Optimus Prime without hearing that deep, calm voice rumbling, "Autobots, roll out!" His voice was so deep and distinctive that, once you had heard it enough times, you could recognise Peter Cullen immediately, no matter what character he was voicing.
But Cullen wasn't just Optimus Prime. He was also the narrator of Voltron, as well as the voice of Coran and King Alfor. He was Eeyore in Winnie the Pooh and even provided the chilling sounds of the Predator. The man was everywhere. What makes his death particularly sad for people of our generation is that these voices were part of our childhood. We didn't know the names behind them - we just knew the characters.
Optimus Prime was Optimus Prime. Eeyore was Eeyore. Voltron was Voltron. And now, you find out that the man behind some of those voices is gone. Peter Cullen died on August 26 in Los Angeles at the age of 85. His cause of death has not been disclosed. Rest well, Peter Cullen. You gave a voice to characters that became childhood memories for millions of us. Till all are one. (Three screenshots. 62 replies of nostalgia and tribute.)
