Peter Cullen didn't know! WHAT?!?!?!

[jessikaowl]

Sorry if this has been posted before but I couldn't believe what I read! An interview with Peter Cullen (voice of Optimus of course), had NO IDEA he was even popular *edit* until much later after his death in the movie!

Never saw even ONE fanmail letter, not one whisper of what kind of influence he had on children/people for the last 25 years!

Craziness. I'm writing him a fanmail right now.

[xeonshock]

I need to write Optimus Prime. NOW!

[Synch]

much like the guy who played luke skywalker has only seen starwars once I'm gona have to call bs on this one too

[chisau]

well ya, voice actors didn't get the popularity as the live actors counter parts until the popularity of anime conventions. only now voice acting has become popular. back in the 80's with was considered a shitty job.

think back to the 80's has you ever heard anyone say. "i wish i become a voice actor when i grow up."

even when peter's characters died in the movie, people where not crying "we want Peter Cullen back!" they where crying "we want optimus prime back!"

[Pascal]

Cullen's a liar. He's been attending all sorts of conventions that proved otherwise.

[jessikaowl]

From the interview:

"And what about the reaction from fans?
I don't remember any overwhelming reaction from anybody. But then I wasn't really in any way aware of what the kids were thinking. I didn't have any thermometer to tell me how popular the show was. I do remember that the (1986) movie was not a very big financial success.
Though you must've gotten fan letters ...
No, that's one thing about that series. I never saw a fan letter. I don't know who got them. That's why I was so surprised so many years later to find out that he was so popular. I didn't know."

I guess he just ment when the series was out, and until his "death" in the 86 movie..... I can see him not knowing at that time anyway!

[jessikaowl]

Originally Posted by megatroptimus

Cullen's a liar. He's been attending all sorts of conventions that proved otherwise.

I bet after he found out, hell yeah he went to get his piece!

I wish Billy West would go to conventions....

[Aernaroth]

Overwhelming is a funny word. Being cheered by a room full of transfans isn't the same as every coffee girl and elevator guy stopping for a second, saying "Ho... holy crap. You're PETER CULLEN!" and going into hysterics.

As for fanmail, I'm sure thats an exaggeration. I'm sure he's gotten fanmail. If he honestly hasn't, I'd wager it has more to do with people not knowing how to contact him, than it does with a lack of popularity.

Its also possible he's overly down on himself.

Also, Billy West does go to conventions. Like San Diego Comic Con.

[jourdo]

Back then I had NO idea who Peter Cullen was. It was just Optimus Prime. As an earlier poster said, voice actors back in the day were not looked at in the same way they are today.

[Nightscrabbler]

Cullen isn't a liar. He didn't know about the fans of Optimus Prime UNTIL he went to his first BotCon.