Peter Cullen, the renowned voice artist known for his roles as Eeyore in “Winnie the Pooh” and Optimus Prime in the “Transformers” series, has passed away. His agent, Kevin Motley, confirmed the sad news, stating that Cullen died at his residence in Los Angeles at the age of 85.

Originally from Montreal, Cullen started his career in radio, working at CKGM, and later transitioned to television as the announcer for “The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour” on CBS from 1967 to 1969. He lent his voice to various iconic characters, such as the giant ape in the 1976 remake of “King Kong” and the creature in the movie “Predator” in 1987.

Fans of the 1988-91 series “The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh” may recognize Cullen as the voice behind the character Eeyore. He continued voicing Eeyore in the 2002 film “Winnie the Pooh: A Very Merry Pooh Year” and other related projects. However, his most notable role was as Optimus Prime, the talking truck transformer, a role he began portraying in the early ’80s.

Optimus Prime’s death in a duel with Megatron in “The Transformers: The Movie” in 1986 sparked significant fan outrage, leading to the character’s revival in “The Transformers: The Return of Optimus Prime” in 1987. Despite a hiatus from the character, Cullen was brought back by director Michael Bay in 2007 for the movie “Transformers,” starring alongside Shia LaBeouf, Megan Fox, and Josh Duhamel.

During the Calgary Comic Expo in 2015, Cullen shared how his brother Larry, a decorated U.S. Marine, inspired his portrayal of Optimus Prime. Larry’s belief that true heroism lies in being “strong enough to be gentle” resonated with Cullen as he voiced the character.

In a statement announcing Cullen’s passing, his family emphasized his enduring impact on friends and fans worldwide. They encouraged everyone to honor his legacy by embodying qualities like compassion, integrity, and loyalty, echoing Larry’s sentiment to “be strong enough to be gentle.”