Peter Cullen’s death has hit lifelong fans harder than most people expected, and this Throwback Thursday traces where that voice actually came from, starting with a piece of advice from his brother that shaped how he played Optimus Prime for decades.
Before Transformers, Peter Cullen was an overnight radio DJ in Montreal, working swing shifts on a station that still has a connection to the show today. A lifetime Emmy speech built around that same advice brought a room to tears, and it explains more about the character than most fans realize.
Peter Cullen’s voice also turns up in roles nobody connects to him, including a soft-spoken donkey and one of the most unexpected sounds in a classic action film. Together they show just how far one voice actually travelled.
Topics: Peter Cullen, Optimus Prime, CKGM Montreal, Predator voice, Eeyore
Originally aired on2026-08-27
