Peter Cullen's journey to becoming Optimus Prime wasn't exactly a straight shot. He started out doing voices for cartoons and commercials, and even did some live-action acting gigs. But it wasn't until he landed the role of Ironhide in the original Transformers series that he knew he was onto something big.
As the story goes, Peter Cullen was asked to do a voice test for Optimus Prime, and the rest, as they say, is history. His deep, commanding voice was perfect for the character, and the rest of the world agreed. I mean, can you imagine anyone else saying "Autobots, roll out!" and making it sound so cool?
But Peter Cullen's impact goes beyond just the Transformers franchise. He's also lent his voice to countless other cartoons, movies, and video games, including Voltron, GI Joe, and Knight Rider. The guy's a vocal chameleon, and his range is impressive, to say the least.
Transformers Voice Actors Optimus Prime at Bethany Lindrum blog
