Peter Cullen

Infobox actor
name = Peter Cullen

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imagesize = 200px
caption = Peter Cullen at BotCon '07
birthname =
birthdate = 1944
location = Montreal, Quebec, Canada
deathdate =
deathplace =
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spouse =
yearsactive = 1962 — present
homepage =
emmyawards =
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Peter Cullen, born in 1944 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, [ [http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0191520/bio Peter Cullen (I) - Biography ] ] is a voice actor who is best known for providing the voices for Optimus Prime and Ironhide, in the original "Transformers" series and the narrator in both American "Voltron" series (he would subsequently reprise the role of Optimus Prime in the 2007 live action Michael Bay feature film "Transformers"). In addition, he has played Coran and King Alfor in the Lion "Voltron" series, the transforming spaceship/robot Ramrod in the 1980s anime series "Saber Rider And The Star Sheriffs", Commander James Hawkins in the Vehicle "Voltron" series, Eeyore in "Winnie-the-Pooh", KARR in "Knight Rider", Antor and Bomba, and Gunner, in "Dino-Riders", and Mantus in "The Pirates of Dark Water".

Voice work

In the 1980s and the 1990s, Cullen appeared on a number of television shows, including "My Little Pony", "Filmation's Ghostbusters", "The Smurfs", "Dungeons & Dragons" as Venger, "Snorks", "The 13 Ghosts of Scooby-Doo", "Tom and Jerry Kids Show", "DuckTales", "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles", "Challenge of the GoBots", "Rude Dog and the Dweebs" as Herman, "Rainbow Brite" as Murky Dismal, "The Biskitts" as Scratch, "Robotix", "Chip 'n Dale Rescue Rangers" as the original voice of Monterey Jack, "Saber Rider and the Star Sheriffs", "The Little Engine That Could" as Pete, the powerful freight engine, ', "The Jetsons" and '. He also had a voice part in "Gremlins" as a gremlin and "Knight Rider" as KARR. He also did voicework in ' series, notably as the king of Ninevah in the Jonah episode. He played the evil sorceror Renwick in the lesser known series "Little Wizards" and played Cindarr in the short-lived series '.

Among many other television shows and movies, he has also lent his basso voice to many movie trailers and television commercials, including announcing for "Toonami" on the Cartoon Network. Cullen spent some of his early professional years in Montreal as a radio announcer/DJ on CKGM; and as a character in a then-popular local television kids show. He acted the role of a French-Canadian astronaut, along with writer and his partner on the show, Ted Ziegler. Both Ziegler and Cullen were spotted in the credits and doing small cameo walk-ons in various comedic roles on "The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour", as well as other network comedies of the era.

He also voiced Nintendo's mascot Mario in the "Donkey Kong" segments on "Saturday Supercade", making him the first person to ever provide a voice for the character.

Cullen has also done voicework on drum and bass DJ Dieselboy's 2004 album, "The Dungeonmaster's Guide". He also did voicework for the unreleased Blizzard Entertainment game , [ [http://www.csoon.com/issue24/p_bliz1.htm Blizzard Entertainment - Press News - Coming Soon Magazine ] ] and provided narration for the Star Wars fan film "".

Cullen reprised the role of Optimus Prime in the 2007 "Transformers" live-action movie, and has signed on for two sequels. [cite news|url=http://www.superherohype.com/news/topnews.php?id=6401 | publisher=SuperHero Hype|author=Heather Newgen|title=Cullen Says to Expect Two More "Transformers"|date=2007-10-12|accessdate=2007-10-14] Jess Harnell was cast to voice Ironhide, whom Cullen voiced in the original series. Cullen was offered to reprise Optimus Prime in an episode of Robot Chicken, but refused as he took the role too seriously to make fun of it, which the crew respected enough to accept his rejection.

Personal life

Cullen is a member of the first graduating class of the National Theatre School of Canada, which graduated in 1963.

He has three children: Clay, Claire, and Pilar E. Cullen; and one grandchild. [ [http://www.aboutheroes.com/content/2006/12/about_heroes_episode_38.php] ]

He has stated that of all the voices he has done, Optimus Prime is his favorite. In interviews, he has said that he had no idea of Optimus Prime's popularity until the character's death in the , as the studio had never given him fan letters from children addressed to Optimus Prime. The public backlash over the death surprised producers to such an extentFact|date=September 2008 that Optimus Prime was brought back to life in the show's third season, in which he ultimately saved the Earth and Cybertron from a strain of extraterrestrial spores that threatened all life.

References

External links

*voice actor|id=1268|name=Peter Cullen
*imdb name|id=0191520|name=Peter Cullen
* [http://www.knightrideronline.com/wiki/doku.php?id=k.a.r.r/ Peter Cullen] on Knight Rider Online