Sopan Deb, reporting for The New York Times (gift link):
Mr. Cullen has said his favorite voice role was the one with which he was most closely associated: Optimus Prime, the honor-bound protagonist of the “Transformers” franchise, which began as a television cartoon series in 1984, based on a popular set of toys.
His take on the character was inspired by his brother Larry, who had served with the Marines in Vietnam. The brothers were roommates when Mr. Cullen auditioned for a role in the series, about robots that transform into other objects, like vehicles.
“I say, ‘I’m going to an audition,’” Mr. Cullen told The Los Angeles Times in 2014, recalling an exchange with his brother. “He says, ‘For what?’ I say, ‘I’m going to be a truck.’ He laughs. I say: ‘No, Larry. It’s a hero truck!’ He says, ‘A hero truck? Well if you’re going to be a hero, be a real hero. Don’t be a jerk.’”
His brother then offered one final pointer: “Be strong enough to be gentle.”
Etan Vlessing, The Hollywood Reporter:
He “passed away peacefully, surrounded by his loving family — and held in the hearts of his many friends and countless fans worldwide,” his family said in a statement. They ask “that you honor his remarkable legacy by serving your communities and leading others with compassion, integrity and loyalty and always remember ‘be strong enough to be gentle.’”
And then there was Eeyore:
“I enjoyed doing Eeyore because he was simply charming,” Mr. Cullen told NPR in 2014. “And I get an awful lot of reactions from, especially, young kids when I go up and just say” — he slipped into Eeyore’s voice — “‘Hello. Thanks for noticing me.’ And to see their faces light up, that to me is one of the great joys.”
For Generation X, Cullen was the voice of our Saturday mornings: Monterey Jack from Chip ’N’ Dale Rescue Rangers, Mario from Donkey Kong, Hulk (and Bruce Banner) from Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends, and dozens of characters across DuckTales, G.I. Joe, Ghostbusters, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Heathcliff, and so much more. It’s been a rough week for our generation.