Peter Cullen, voice actor of a generation weaned on Saturday Morning cartoons, has passed away. He is best known for the iconic voice of Optimus Prime in The Transformers cartoons, amongst other iconic voices including Eeyore in Winnie The Pooh, Monty Jack in Chip ‘n Dale’s Rescue Rangers, and even the “clicking” sound made by The Predator (!).
I was also today years old when I learned that he also did the opening sequence for one of my GOAT mecha shows Voltron (yes, the one where five ships combine to form an anthropomorphic flying lion as the leader calls out each body part).
I’ll close this blog with this interview with Peter Cullen on how he thought about creating the voice for Optimus Prime.
It’s one of those rare looks inside the mind of someone who takes their creativity and craft seriously, something that’s increasingly rare in today’s on-demand AI-fuelled (infested?) age:
• Rest in peace Peter Cullen 🙏🏼