Peter Cullen is gone, and for a lot of us who grew up idolizing Optimus Prime, this week feels like losing a piece of our own childhood.
For decades, Peter brought the iconic Autobot leader to life, portraying someone who was incredibly strong, but equally gentle. He was heroic, but also compassionate, the type of leader who would stand in front of you when things got bad, while also being willing to give you a shoulder to lean on when you needed it.
Optimus Prime became one of the better influences in countless people’s lives despite being a fictional character. A huge part of that was Peter Cullen, because the more I learned about the man behind the voice, the more it felt like so much of what made Optimus who he was came directly from Peter himself. In many ways, Peter Cullen was the closest thing we ever had to a real-life Optimus Prime, and I know I’m not the only person who feels that way.
I didn’t have many role models in my life outside of my father. Optimus Prime and Captain America were two characters I tried to model parts of my life after. As silly as it might sound, there were so many moments when I’d stop and ask myself, “What would Prime do?” More often than not, that question kept me from making a bad decision or getting myself into a situation I probably didn’t need to be in.
As a kid, I couldn’t wait to watch the latest episode of The Transformers. I begged my parents for my very own Optimus Prime toy, and once I was old enough to have my own job and my own money, you better believe I started buying every cooler Optimus figure I could never afford as a child. I still remember going to the movies with my friends and watching Hasbro kill Optimus Prime on the big screen in The Transformers: The Movie, all so they could sell a new lineup of toys. That one hurt, and if you were a kid who loved Optimus Prime back then, you know exactly what I’m talking about.
And through all of it, no matter how many times Transformers got rebooted, recast, or reimagined, Peter Cullen’s voice was the one that always felt like coming home. Other actors have stepped into the role over the years, and some of them have been good. But none of them have ever fully replaced him in the minds of the people who grew up with him. That’s not a knock on anyone else who’s picked up the mantle — it’s just a testament to how completely Peter made that character his.
Now, after finding out that Peter Cullen has passed away at the age of 85, I’m conflicted. As much as we’d all like to believe otherwise, we humans don’t get to live forever. We’re lucky if we make it to an age where people can say we lived a long life. I’ve seen enough death in my own family to understand that, even if it is a morbid thing to think about.
At the same time, I keep thinking about all the good times I had with Transformers and all those years looking up to Optimus Prime. I remember the cartoons, the toys, the movies, and all those moments when that character meant more to me than just some giant robot on a television screen. Peter Cullen never knew me, and sadly, I never had the opportunity to meet him, but through Optimus Prime, he still managed to have an impact on my life. That’s something I’ll always be grateful for.
I just wish I had gotten the chance to meet Peter in person, even once, and tell him what Optimus Prime meant to me.
While Peter is no longer with us, his legacy isn’t going anywhere. It’s there every time someone watches an old episode of The Transformers, hears that unmistakable voice, picks up an Optimus Prime figure, or remembers something Prime said that stuck with them long after the episode ended. That’s the kind of legacy most people could only hope to leave behind.
“Whenever you look to the stars, think of one of them as my soul.”
— Optimus Prime, Transformers: Age of Extinction
Rest easy, Peter. And thank you.
