In an inteview with Hero Complex the voice of Optimus Prime, Peter Cullen, comments on re-auditioning for the role of Optimus Prime, touches on Age of Extinction and his feelings on doing the iconic voice.
“It’s kind of surreal to audition for a character that you basically created,” said Cullen, who originated the Autobot’s stentorian voice in TV performances from 1984 to ‘87. “But I didn’t expect Michael to know what I knew about ‘Transformers.’ I was ready for anything.”
“I never get to see an entire script,” he said. “I don’t really have to. Because Prime is Prime. He’s going to react to whatever he’s reacting to without knowing what’s going on in the future.”
“One of the most popular is, ‘Autobots transform and roll out!’ because it was said so often on the series,” the soft-spoken voice actor said. “But I always come up with another one” — Cullen lapsed into Optimus’ commanding battlefield growl — “ ‘One shall stand, one shall fall!’ And then they go, ‘Jeez!’
“My brother said, ‘Peter, be a real hero. Don’t do all the bravado stuff and pretend to be tough. Be strong enough to be gentle. Be understanding — and calm,’” Cullen said. “When I began the audition, his voice came right out. I read the lines the way I could hear my brother doing it.
“Now, maintaining those characteristics — courage, trustworthiness, integrity, loyalty — you’re responsible for something to the kids who watch Optimus Prime. I want to be a positive influence rather than just fighting and sock, bang, boom!”
Peter Cullen IS Optimus Prime, no one can ever take his place!
ReplyDeleteGary Chalk was a good Optimus Primal, and he was good as Prime in the Unicron Trilogy, but there is nothing quite like Peter Cullen's Prime. I just wish the movies were better.
ReplyDeletePart of what I think the movies lack, is giving the Transformers "real" scenes... The spot in the trailer that Prime and Marky Mark are talking is a great moment and I hope there's more of it. I feel like the best scenes in these films are when there's actual, interaction between the humans and the robots. Otherwise, it feels like the effects are just happening around the actors... or your just watching a live action cartoon (like Disney's Dinosaur).
ReplyDeleteIf Prime is more 'human' in this film, I think that's a good thing. I like Prime's speeches, but sometimes you need to have some real moments.
Prime is alot more human in 1984 he laughed, cried, and lost is cool, its normal.
DeleteNo one could ever replace Peter Cullen as the voice of Optimus Prime. Just like nobody could ever play Tony Stark/Iron Man the way that RDJ did or Hugh Jackman as Wolverine.
ReplyDeleteI bet that Cullen may have privately had a problem, now and again, with the way Bay sometimes portrayed Optimus...for example, in Dark of the moon, when Optimus says "we will kill them all" ...for me that was out of character, for the Optimus that I grew up watching ...but perhaps I am wrong. Optimus is Cullens baby, and rightfully so. I am just so very glad he came back to voice Prime...wouldn't be the same without him !! And now Welker is on board...hell yeah !!! For those two alone, I would watch this movie :) !!!
ReplyDeleteBay is such a tard. Cullen is an iconic voice and to replace him with anyone else would have made the movies nearly unwatchable. It was hard enough watching what Bay did to my childhood. Still waiting to see how badly he screws the pooch on TMNT.
ReplyDeleteYour a total Tard!!!
ReplyDeleteI believe Cullen is on record saying he objected to the "We will kill them all" line, but he said he was overruled, so yes, Cullen has had some disagreement with Bay. For me, there are out of character moments in all the films, but overall Cullen has managed to mostly keep the spirit of Optimus.
ReplyDeleteWhy would they even ask him to re-audition?!? Peter Called is Optimus! I don't see anyone else playing that role !! I'm extremely happy that he is repricing his role!!
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