Peter Cullen dead at 85: Optimus Prime voice actor's cause of death revealed?

Peter Cullen, the legendary voice actor best known for bringing Optimus Prime to life in the Transformers franchise, has died at the age of 85. 

The iconic actor died on Wednesday at his home in Los Angeles, according to his agent. His cause of death has not been revealed yet.

In a statement to TMZ, his family said: “Peter Cullen passed away peacefully, surrounded by his loving family.” They asked Cullen’s fans to honor his legacy by serving their communities with compassion, integrity, and loyalty.

Cullen was best known for playing the role of a voice actor for the hit franchise Transformers character Optimus Prime, the leader of Autobots.

He first took on the role in the original 1980s Transformers animated series, establishing the deep, commanding voice that would become inseparable from the character.

Cullen later returned as Optimus Prime when the franchise moved to the big screen. He voiced the character in Michael Bay’s live-action Transformers movies beginning with the 2007 film and continued in later installments, including Bumblebee and Transformers: Rise of the Beasts.

In addition to his iconic role in Transformers, he was also known as the voice of Eeyore in Winnie the Pooh, K.A.R.R. in Knight Rider and Predator in the 1987 Arnold Schwarzenegger movie. Cullen also voiced Monterey Jack in Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers and Mario in the original Donkey Kong animated series.

Cullen’s connection with Optimus Prime continued for decades. He was inducted into the Transformers Hall of Fame in 2010, one of the first human inductees, for his contribution to the franchise.