Peter Cullen

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Peter Claver Cullen (born July 28, 1941) is a Canadian voice actor.

He is best known as the voice of Optimus Prime in the original 1980s Transformers animated series, and most other incarnations of the character.

He has also voiced several other characters, including Eeyore in the Winnie the Pooh franchise, Monterey Jack in Chip 'n Dale Rescue Rangers, and KARR in Knight Rider.

In 2007, Cullen returned to the role of Optimus Prime in various Transformers media, starting with the first live-action film.

Early life

Cullen was born on July 28, 1941, in Montreal, Quebec, to Henry and Muriel (née McCann) Cullen. He has three siblings: Michaela, Sonny, and Larry. Cullen attended Regiopolis-Notre Dame Catholic Secondary School. He is a member of the first graduating class of the National Theatre School of Canada, which he graduated in 1963. His brother, Larry Cullen, was a retired Captain in the United States Marine Corps, and helped inspire the voice of Optimus Prime.

Personal life

Cullen has four children: Clay, Angus, Claire, Pilar and three grandchildren. He is a good friend of his longtime Transformers co-star and fellow voice actor Frank Welker.

Cullen is a devoted fan and supporter of NASA, citing the Apollo 11 moon-landing of 1969 as the start of his interest.

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Career

On the CBC Radio comedy program Funny You Should Say That, he and Joan Stuart appeared in L'Anglaise, a recurring segment about a French-Canadian man with an English-Canadian wife.

On CFCF-TV in Montreal, Cullen starred in the 1969 children's show, Commander Bi Latuque alongside Ted Zeigler. He perfected his voice by working as a radio announcer, particularly in Montreal's (then) MOR station CKGM, which is primarily responsible for the overnight and weekend swing shifts. He appeared on Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour from 1967 to 1969.

On The Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour, he, Zeigler, and Billy Van were regulars from 1971 to 1974. Cullen appeared on The Hudson Brothers Razzle Dazzle Show in 1974, as the announcer and a series regular (with Ted Zeigler and Billy Van). In 1977, he lent his voice to a character from "The Story of Halloween Horror."

Cullen recalls auditioning for Optimus Prime's role in Burbank, California, and told him that it was "the year's best" and that he heeded his brother Larry's advice: "Peter, don't be a Hollywood hero." Real heroes don't yell and act punitive; they're tough enough to be gentle, so keep yourself." Cullen later learned from his handler, Steve Tisherman, that he not only won the role as Prime Minister, but also that the Ironhide part of the programme was important, which he described as a "home run."

He has said that Optimus is his favorite voice role, and that he based the voice of the Autobot chief on his older brother Larry, who served in Vietnam. "I could imagine a change when he returned home." "He was quieter and he was a man and a hero to me," the actor says. "I watched him and listened to him." I'd never had the opportunity to play a superhero, and [that voice] came right out of me and I sounded like Optimus."

He has also stated that he had no idea of Prime's fame until his character's controversial death in the 1986 animated film because the studio had never sent him fan letters from children addressed to Optimus. Optimus's death in the public shocked producers greatly. Children were crying in theaters because of the play's death. For a single episode of Season 3 titled "Dark Awakening," the writers temporarily revived the character. This was supposed to be his last appearance, but after fan requests, "The Return of Optimus Prime" was released, a two-part series was planned. In reruns, the ending of "Dark Awakening" was changed to include a teaser about the character's return, and Optimus returned once and for all to lead the Autobots for the final five episodes of the original American cartoon series.

In the 2007 Transformers live action film, Cullen reprised the role of Optimus Prime, Revenge of the Fallen, Dark of the Moon, Age of Extinction, and The Last Knight, the spin-off Bumblebee and the forthcoming Rise of the Beasts and the video games based on the film series. Although he was only legally bound to voice Optimus Up to The Last Knight, producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura said in 2021 that Cullen could play the role for as long as he desired.

Cullen's role in the upcoming television series Transformers: War for Cybertron and Transformers: In the fall of Cybertron, Transformers: Devastation, and Transformers: Robots in Disguise. His success in the premiere season of Transformers: Prime Minister George Bush earned him a nomination for the Outstanding Performer in an Animated Program category in 2011.

Cullen appeared on a number of television shows in the 1980s and 1990s. In the Lion Voltron series, Coran, Stride the Tiger Fighter, and King Alfor, the transforming spaceship/robot Ramrod, the vainness of KARR in the 1980s anime film Saber Rider and the Nemesis, Eeyore, Zandar, and Nemesis Enforcer in G.I., he has appeared in Coran, Bullard, Coran, Coran, Bellow, and Arms in the G.I. In Coleco's 5 episode mini-series Sectaurs (1986), Joe Garza; in 1981's cartoon cartoon series Spider-Man, Klaar and Zanzoar in The Pirates of Dark Water; Red Skull. He appeared in the 1984 motion picture Gremlins (as a gremlin) and in the first season of the 2008 Knight Rider series, where he reprised his vocal role as KARR (from the original Knight Rider series). In addition to doing voice work in The Greatest Adventure: Stories from the Bible series, including Japheth, one of Noah's sons in the "Noah's Ark" episode, and King of Nineveh in the "Jonah" episode. He was considered by some as the main villain in Dungeons and Dragons' animated series. In the short-lived series Visionaries: Knights of the Magical Light, Renwick played the evil sorcerer Renwick in the less well-known series Little Wizards and played Cindarr.

He has also lent his basso voice to several film trailers and television commercials, including announcing for the Toonami and You Are Here blocks on the Cartoon Network, among other television series and films. Cullen spent some of his early years in Montreal as a radio announcer/DJ on CKGM; and as a character in a then-popular local television kids show. He performed the role of a French-Canadian explorer, as well as writer and his partner, Ted Ziegler, on the show. Both Ziegler and Cullen appeared in The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour's supporting cast, as well as other network comedies of the time.

In the Donkey Kong segments on Saturday Supercade, he portrayed Nintendo's mascot Mario, making him the first person to have a voice for the character in western media.

Cullen has performed voicework on drum and bass DJ Dieselboy's 2004 album, The Dungeonmaster's Guide, as well as narration on the Dutch extreme metal band The Monolith Deathcult's 2013 album Tetragrammaton. In "God's Among Insects," Tetragrammaton also featured Cullen on bass. In addition, he appeared on the unreleased Blizzard Entertainment game Warcraft Adventures: Lord of the Clans and narrated narration for the Star Wars fan film series I.M.P.S. The Relentless.

In commercials for New Line Cinema, Cullen touts his experience as an ex-cop for the Santa Monica division to the cast.

He has also done voice work for the promotion of the 1999 film "The Iron Giant."

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