Optimus prime voice

Despite being classically trained, Cullen turned to voice acting in the early 1980s, earning roles on various French-Canadian children's programs. However, Genda did portray the character in the original Japanese dub of the 1984 animated series, reprising the role in the dubs of the live-action movies just as Cullen did in the original English-language releases.

His tenure as the character would earn him the Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences on December 17, 2023.[1][2] Originally from Quebec, Cullen moved to the U.S. early in his career. For a list of other meanings, see Peter (disambiguation).

Scarier than Venger and the Predator combined.

Peter Cullen (born July 28, 1941) is a Canadian actor and voice actor, who has earned fame, respect, and admiration as the voice of the original Optimus Prime, as well as that character's analogs from many subsequent series listed below.

Below, see a breakdown of every series in which he has voiced the character:

Title

Format

Beast Machines: Transformers (1999-2000)

Animated Series

Transformers: Armada (2002-2003)

Animated Series

Transformers: Energon (2004)

Animated Series

Transformers: Cybertron (2005-2006)

Animated Series

Chalk has also appeared in quite a few live-action roles over the years

Chalk has also appeared in quite a few live-action roles over the years, including playing the minor character Stan Walsh in the 2014 Monsterverse movie Godzilla and appearing in the franchise horror movies The Fly II, Freddy vs.

Peter Cullen

Peter Cullen is a Canadian-born voice actor best known as the voice of Optimus Prime in the "Transformers" animated and live-action film and TV franchise. However, he has also held voice roles in quite a few video games including playing the character Terry Bogard from 1991's Fatal Fury: King of Fighters through 2010's Neo Geo Heroes: Ultimate Shooting.

4 Neil Kaplan

First Performance: Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2001-2002)

Neil Kaplan took over the role of Optimus Prime when Transformers: Car Robots, later retitled Robots in Disguise, was localized for Western markets and aired between 2001 and 2002.

Peter Cullen, aka Optimus Prime", 2006/09/28 (archive link)

  • ↑ "We had an idea that Peter Cullen could play some kind of old west hero that would teach Optimus how to be a stronger leader"—Derrick J. Wyatt, Ask.fm, 2021/07/19
  • ↑ "We did have an idea for him to play a mentor character to Optimus [...] Our idea was for him to play a human mentor.

  • On September 30, 2014, Cullen was immortalized on the Hollywood Walk of Fame with a cement printing ceremony outside of Grauman's Chinese Theatre.

    • References

    1. ↑UPI.com, "Children & Family Emmy Awards to honor Optimus Prime voice actor Peter Cullen", 2023/11/15
    2. ↑ "2016 Lifetime Achievement Honoree Frank Welker presented award-winning voice performer Peter Cullen with the Lifetime Achievement Award."—National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, "The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Announces 2nd Annual Children's & Family Emmy Awards Winners", 2023/12/17
    3. ↑ "[Larry's] approach to serious situations was always calm and controlled an authoritative."—Whitney Matheson, USA Today, "A chat with ...

      Artificial Intelligence.

      7 Katsuyuki Konishi

      First Performance: Transformers: Energon (2004)

      Katsuyuki Konishi was the second actor to portray Convoy in the Unicron trilogy, taking over the role in 2004's Transformers: Energon. See a full breakdown of his performances dubbing for Cullen below:

      Title

      Format

      The Transformers (1984-1987)

      Animated Series

      The Transformers: The Movie (1986)

      Animated Movie

      Transformers (2007)

      Live-Action Movie

      Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (2009)

      Live-Action Movie

      Transformers: Dark of the Moon (2011)

      Live-Action Movie

      Transformers: Age of Extinction (2014)

      Live-Action Movie

      Transformers: The Last Knight (2017)

      Live-Action Movie

      Bumblebee (2018)

      Live-Action Movie

      Transformers: Rise of the Beasts (2023)

      Live-Action Movie

      Genda is a frequent dubber for Hollywood stars, having provided Japanese dubs for Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sylvester Stallone, Dan Aykroyd, Samuel L.

      Jackson, John Goodman, and more, across multiple movies.

      3 Satoshi Hashimoto

      First Performance: Transformers: Car Robots (2000)

      The next actor to portray any version of the character onscreen would be Satoshi Hashimoto, who voiced Convoy in the Japanese animated series Transformers: Car Robots, a reboot which ran for a total of 39 episodes in 2000 and creating a new continuity for the franchise.

      Hashimoto is better known as a stage performer, having held roles in The Rocky Horror Show, Les Misérables, Hamlet, and, more recently, Spirited Away, Moulin Rouge!, and Come from Away.

      The award was presented to him by his longtime costar Frank Welker; Cullen had presented Welker the same award seven years prior at a non-televised ceremony. He was also the announcer for several commercials for the United States Navy in 2007, filling in for Keith David. He has also held roles in English-language animated projects including a 2019 episode of Love, Death & Robots and Robot Chicken, in which he voiced Harry Potter character Albus Dumbledore.

      5 Garry Chalk

      First Performance: Beast Machines: Transformers (1999-2000)

      Voice actor Garry Chalk joined the franchise in 1999 when he voiced both Optimus Primal and Optimus Prime in Beast Machines: Transformers before going on to dub Optimus Prime in the Western localizations of the three Transformers anime series that are collectively known as the Unicron Trilogy.

      But Cullen's most memorable and enduring role was his voicing of Autobots leader Optimus Prime in the original animated TV series "The Transformers." Cullen's reedy voice proved so perfect for the part that he was cast in all of the franchise's subsequent adaptations, including a 1986 animated feature film "The Transformers: The Movie," and Michael Bay's live-action hits "Transformers" (2007) and "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" (2009).

    Every Actor Who Has Voiced Optimus Prime In Transformers Movies & TV Shows

    Many different actors have played the iconic Transformerscharacter Optimus Prime over the years.

    Be strong enough to be gentle.Peter quoting the advice his late brother, Larry, had on inspiring the voice of Optimus Prime.

    Generation 1

    The Transformers

    Incidentals

    Transformers: Devastation

    Transformers: Titans Return

    Transformers: Power of the Primes

    History of the Transformers

    Building Bridges with Optimus Prime

    Movie franchise

    GIVE ME MY FACE!?

    Transformers (2007 movie)

    Transformers: The Game

    Transformers: Beginnings

    Revenge of the Fallen

    Revenge of the Fallen: The Game

    Dark of the Moon

    Dark of the Moon: The Game

    Transformers: The Ride – 3D

    Age of Extinction

    The Last Knight

    Bumblebee

    Rise of the Beasts

    Fortnite

    Aligned

    Transformers: War for Cybertron

    Transformers: Prime

    Transformers: Rescue Bots

    Transformers: Fall of Cybertron

    Transformers: Prime - The Game

    Transformers Universe

    Transformers: Rise of the Dark Spark

    Transformers: Robots in Disguise

    Merchandise

    Written works

    Convention appearances

    Notes

    Now all it needs is a mustache.
    Aah, that's the stuff.
    • In 1984, Cullen created the voice of Optimus Prime by emulating the mannerisms of his older brother Larry, who had served in the United States Marine Corps in the Vietnam War.

      Specifically, he based Prime's voice and mannerisms upon Larry's calm, controlled and authoritative approach to serious situations.[3] The Transformers: Prime episode "Partners" was dedicated to his late brother's memory. The Montreal-born Cullen was a member of the first graduating class of the National Theatre School of Canada.

      A live-action cameo was also left on the cutting room floor in which Cullen would portray Optimus's holo-driver.