Peter Cullen, the prolific voice actor who lent his authoritative baritone to Optimus Prime in “Transformers” and his gentle voice to Eeyore in the Winnie the Pooh franchise, has died at 85.

His agent, Kevin Motley, confirmed that Cullen died Wednesday at his Los Angeles home. A statement from his family asked that his legacy be honored through community service, compassion, integrity, and loyalty, with the reminder to "be strong enough to be gentle."

Cullen's extensive career began in the late 1960s as an announcer for “The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour” and included roles in comedy sketches for Sonny & Cher, as well as voice work in “The Smurfs” and various “G.I. Joe” productions.

His portrayal of Optimus Prime, the heroic Autobot leader who transforms into a red cabover semitrailer, first appeared in the syndicated 1984 “Transformers” series. While the original cartoon ran for only a few years, it significantly impacted pop culture, leading to a toy line, spinoff series, and a multibillion-dollar live-action film franchise launched in 2007.

Cullen drew inspiration for Optimus Prime's voice from his older brother, a U.S. Marine who served in the Vietnam War. "He was my hero, and he certainly was the mainstay behind the character," Cullen told the AP in 2019. "I just did an impression of Larry, and he’s still alive in my mind today because every time I do Prime, there’s my brother Larry."

His voice as Optimus Prime was featured in multiple “Transformers” films, including “Revenge of the Fallen” (2009) through “Rise of the Beasts” (2023). His memorable lines, such as "I am Optimus Prime, and I send this message to any surviving Autobots taking refuge among the stars: We are here. We are waiting," and "Fate rarely calls upon us at a moment of our choosing," became iconic.

Beyond Transformers, Cullen voiced Eeyore in numerous “Winnie the Pooh” projects, including Disney's “The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh” from 1988-1991. He also voiced the villainous KARR in the 1980s series “Knight Rider” and King Kong in the 1976 film remake.

"Optimus is my favorite character because it’s been so well received and it’s had such an effect on so many people," Cullen said in 2008. "Because of that, I hold it closer than any other character I’ve done — outside of maybe Eeyore, who’s had a considerable effect on younger children too."

In one of his more unusual roles, Cullen provided the clicking sounds for the alien creature in the 1987 film “Predator,” an effect he based on the sounds of a dying horseshoe crab.

Cullen received a lifetime achievement award at the Children’s & Family Emmy Awards in 2023 and was a Daytime Emmy nominee in 2011 for his work as Optimus Prime.

He frequently met fans at conventions, often sharing emotional moments with attendees, particularly fathers and sons. "I expect that I will run into a father with his son, and the father will more than likely get choked up," he said in 2019. "And then I get choked up, and then the kid is saying ‘What are these two grown men getting choked up about?’ "

Cullen is survived by his four children: Angus, Claire, Pilar, and Clay.