Departures of note

Peter Claver Cullen was born on July 28, 1941, in Montreal, Quebec, to American parents. He was a member of the first graduating class of the National Theatre School of Canada, graduating in 1963, and honed his craft as a radio announcer in Montreal and as the announcer for The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour from 1967 to 1969. He was a series regular on The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour and The Hudson Brothers Razzle Dazzle Show in the early 1970s.

Cullen achieved his most enduring fame as the voice of Optimus Prime in the original 1980s Transformers animated series, a role he reprised in the live-action Transformers films beginning in 2007. He also voiced Eeyore in the Winnie the Pooh franchise, Monterey Jack in Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers, the first voice of KARR in Knight Rider, and created the vocalizations for the title character in Predator, as well as sounds for King Kong. He voiced Thaedus in the animated series Invincible.

In 2023, Cullen was presented with a Lifetime Achievement Award by the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences as part of the 2nd Children's and Family Emmy Awards. His brother Larry, a retired US Marine Corps captain, helped inspire the voice of Optimus Prime. Cullen died on August 26, 2026, at the age of 85.