Entertainment

‘Transformers’ Optimus Prime Voice Was 85

Peter Cullen has passed away. He was 85. He was 85.
Kevin Motley told The Hollywood Reporter that Cullen passed away on Wednesday, at his Los Angeles home.
In a family statement, they said that he “passed peacefully surrounded by loving family and in the hearts and minds of many friends and fans around the world.” The family asks that you “honor his incredible legacy by serving and leading your community with compassion, loyalty, and integrity. Always remember to ‘be gentle enough’.
Cullen, who was born in Montreal, also voiced King Kong and K.A.R.R. (short for Knight Automated Roving Robot) on Knight Rider series in 1982 and 2009, and he came up with the scary clicking sounds that emerged from the mouth of the monster in the Arnold Schwarzenegger-starring Predator (1987).
He began his career as a live performer, and he served as an announcer on The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour.
Cullen revealed in a NPR interview from 2014 that he was initially confused about his approach to playing Optimus Prime. He said, “I went to auditions like everyone else.” “I heard it was about a hero and a truck,” he said.
Cullen, a good-natured actor with wit and charm, was chosen to voice the Autobot leader for the very first time in the syndicated 1984-1987 series The Transformers. The show is based on Hasbro toys and made by Marvel and Toei Animation in Japan. Then AKOM South Korea.
Optimus died in The Transformers: The Movie, a 1986 movie. This caused a large and unexpected uproar. Producers decided to bring Cullen back and his character for The Transformers: The Return of Optimus prime (1987), a straight-to video film.
After two decades, when director Michael Bay brought the Transformers franchise back to life with DreamWorks Transformers, which starred Shia LaBeouf as the lead, Cullen was hired again.
He told IGN, “It’s like slipping on a pair of comfortable old shoes you haven’t worn in a long time.” “I just put on the shoes and felt like I had worn them before.”
Cullen played the semi-trailer Peterbilt 379 truck in the movie, which grossed $709.7 millions worldwide. It was the fifth highest grossing film of 2014. The sequels Revenge of the Fallen (2009, $836.3 millions), Dark of the Moon (2011, $1.1 billion), and Age of Extinction, all of which were a huge success, followed.
Cullen has also voiced Optimus for The Last Knight (2017) and Rise of the Beasts 2023. Chris Hemsworth’s voice was used in the 2014 film Transformers One.
Cullen was the voice of Eeyore in the series The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh from 1988 to 1991. He also portrayed the donkey’s droopy look on the film Winnie the Pooh (2002), as well as on various other videos and shows.
When I say ‘Hello’ [in Eeyore voice], it gets a lot of attention, particularly from young children. Cullen replied, “Thanks for taking notice of me.”
Peter Claver Cullen, one of four siblings, was born on the 28th July 1941 in Montreal. Henry Cullen, an American who was a former newsprint executive at the International Paper Sales Co. and Muriel were his parents.
As a child, he spent some time at a relative’s farm. “I can remember my first summer when I was able to imitate their cows, calves, chickens and dogs,” he remembered.
In 1963, he graduated from the National Theatre School of Canada. He studied under Bernard Diamant as an operatic coach, performed Shakespeare in Stratford (Ontario) for a season, and spent a year in Toronto with the Repertory Company at The Crest Theatre.
He was also an announcer at the Montreal Radio Station CKGM, and he played Commander Bi Bi Latuque in the 1967 slapstick children’s series The Buddies on Montreal TV station CFCF. Then he starred as Les Anglaises in a CBC Radio comedy, Funny You Should Said That. It was about a French Canadian and an English Canadian woman (Joan Stuart).
Cullen went to Hollywood in 1967 and appeared on The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour. He also performed comedy sketches in The Hudson Brothers Razzle Dazzle Comedy Show and the Sonny & Cher show.
Cullen, who played Optimus Prime in the movie, said he channeled his brother Larry’s spirit, a decorated U.S. Marine, who served from 1965 to 1968 in Vietnam.
When he returned home, I noticed a difference. In 2006, he stated that he had become quieter. “He was like a hero to me. He was also a man.” I watched and listened. “I’d never done a superhero before, but when the opportunity came up, I sounded just like Optimus.”
Chill Wills was an actor who starred in Hollywood Westerns. He was also able to voice the Autobot weapons specialist Ironhide.
Cullen was nominated for a Daytime Emmy Award in 2010-13 due to his performance as Cullen the Prime in Transformers: Prime’s first season.
Cullen recalled that his agent urged him to audition for Predator, even though it was bloody coughing after working so many hours on another film. The producers initially did not want to reveal the appearance of the Predator, in order to maintain the secret. However, the actor was insistent.
If I cannot see the character I do not know what to do. Cullen’s voice acting playbook says, “I have to be able to connect with the character and put myself in their shoes.”
I saw an ugly, ugly head and tentacles (moving about). This reminded me of a horseshoe crab lying upside down on the beach, dying from exposure to sunlight when I was young. Nasty. “But from there came all of these crackling noises, bubbles which were bursting and coming out.”
Cullen has also played the voices of Monterey Jack, the mouse who loves cheese on Chip ‘n Dale Rescue Rangers and King Alfor on Lion Voltron. He’s also portrayed Ramrod on the anime series Saber Rider and the Star Sheriffs and Commander James Hawkins on the Vehicle Voltron.
He worked with NASA, and was a part of the Optimus Prime Spinoff Award that is given each year to young people studying science, math, and technology.
Angus and Claire are his four children. Pilar, Clay and a stuntman and coordinator, Clay, is also surviving.
He said, “The Transformers phenomenon is mind-shaking.” It’s not just historical. Being a member of the Transformers is a moment in your life where you can say, “Gee! I’m glad.” I accomplished something that was unique and am grateful. “Humbled by the experience.”

Entertainment

TK to Host Season Premiere, TK Is Musical Guest

The 52nd edition of “Saturday Night Live”, which will feature a host of stars, is set to take place in the fall.
Katseye, a popular K-pop band, will provide the music for the premiere of the new season, which is set to be broadcast on September 26. Jalen, the host, recently won the NBA Championship with the New York Knicks, and Jalen Brunson are the hosts. The “SNL’ debuts of both Brunson and Katseye are set for Sept. 26.
Dakota Johnson will headline the Oct. 3, 2018 episode, along with hardcore rock group Turnstile. Johnson’s film “Verity”, which hits cinemas Oct. 2, will be her third appearance on “SNL”. Turnstile, who are currently touring with their Never Enough Tour Pt., make their debut at “SNL.” 2.
On Oct. 10, Shane Gillis, with Rosalia performing as his musical guest will be hosting “SNL for the third consecutive time. Gillis recently broke the Guinness World Record of the largest audience for a stand-up show this summer, and released Season 3 on Netflix. Rosalia is wrapping up her Lux World Tour the month prior to her second appearance at “SNL.”
Gracie Abrams will return to the “SNL,” for the second consecutive time, after releasing her album, “Daughter From Hell,” earlier in the year.
The “SNL’s” offseason has not been very exciting. However, the most important update is that Chloe Fineman has left the show after seven years. Martin Herlihy who appeared in four seasons of Please Don’t Destroy as a cast member and also worked on the Season 51 writers’ room, is no longer a part of the show.
The British version of “Saturday Night Live” announced its date for the premiere of its second season before the American one. Jeff Goldblum will host the show and CMAT will be the musical guest. This series will feature the entire cast of its first season and run 12 episodes.
Will Ferrell was one of the hosts for “SNL’s” Season 51, along with Bad Bunny and Matt Damon. Musical guests included Doja cat, Sombr and Cher. Harry Styles and Sabrina Carpenter, as well as Olivia Rodrigo, all served as host and musical guests.
Variety asked some Season 51’s newcomers what they hoped to achieve in their sophomore year.
Jeremy Culhane commented, “The older people do a great job of capturing themselves in sketches. People like Andrew Dismukes and James Austin Johnson are excellent at this.” “That’s a skill I would love to improve.”
Veronika Slowikowski continued, “And by working together.” This year we all tried to do our own thing, which was understandable. “Next year, I would like to create characters with my friends.”

Entertainment

Kim Zolciak’s Son KJ Biermann Makes a Critical Legal Move After Being Indicted

Kroy Biermann Jr. (15 years old) is Kim Zolciak’s son. He has taken a significant step in the case of sexual assault. The case is being transferred by his legal team to the juvenile courts. A Georgia grand jury had indicted KJ on seven felonies. KJ is still in jail as the case progresses.
KJ Biermann, indicted for seven felonies, seeks to be tried as a juvenile
Page Six reports that KJ’s attorney Jason Sheffield has filed a request to move the case from adult court to juvenile court. In the motion, it is also requested that confidentiality procedures be followed. Sheffield stated that the state plans to prosecute KJ as a grown-up. The defense, he said, wants KJ to be “tried as a child.”
Sheffield said that the defense also expects KJ to plead not guilty at his arraignment on October 14. He told the outlet that he expected to plead not guilty to all of KJ’s charges. KJ is facing seven felonies, including child abuse, sodomy, and sexual assault. Also, he faces charges of false imprisonment and three counts each of sexual assault against a minor under the age 16 as well as aggravated sodomy.
KJ’s situation stems from a alleged incident on April 23, involving a classmate. She accused him of sexual assault at a gym located in Alpharetta in Georgia. KJ, who was arrested in Atlanta on August 17, remains there at the Metro Regional Youth Detention Center. According to Fulton County Court records, his bond hearing has been scheduled for September 11.
Sheffield criticised the length of time KJ spent in custody while waiting for a bail hearing. He told Page Six that it was difficult to understand how a child of 14 or 15 years old could be detained for up to a month while awaiting a hearing. The detective had decided to hold KJ for serious crimes, he said. Now, the defense hopes that the case will be transferred to the juvenile court system.

Entertainment

ABC responds to rumored ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!’ cancellation

ABC clarifies the facts amid reports that they plan to end “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” after the current season.
A spokesperson for ABC Entertainment told Us Weekly that “This information was inaccurate – any reports regarding the future of this show are at this time purely speculation.”
After multiple outlets claimed that Kimmel’s 24th-season late night program would end after the premiere of ABC’s Tuesday’s show, ABC clarified its position.
After a morbid joke about the first lady, Trump calls for ABC to terminate Jimmy Kimmel, again
According to TMZ, Kimmel has been shopping for other projects in recent months, such as a podcast, along with other shows. This news follows an interview Kimmel’s spouse, Molly McNearney gave on Dax Shepard’s “Armchair Expert” where she spoke about her husband’s eventual retirement.
McNearney’s response to the question “What do you think about it?” was: “It appeals to my nervous system for the family.”
She continued, “It’s like Jimmy is holding a flashlight in his other hand while holding a fly-rod in one.” “I feel like Jimmy deserves to be out on the river, relaxing. But I want him to continue fighting.” “I feel this desire not to quit, because what he is doing right now I believe is extremely important.”
Jimmy Kimmel Live! debuted in January 2003. Since then, it has broadcast over 4,000 episodes. Kimmel’s Show was pulled abruptly from airwaves almost a year ago. Executives said it would “preempt indefinitely”. This happened because of the host’s comments about the dialogue sparked by the murder of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
Kirk, a political activist of the right, was fatally shot at Utah Valley University on September 10 as part his American Comeback Tour. Kirk was shot in the neck during an outdoor event at the Orem campus, Utah. He was taken to hospital where, a few minutes later, he died.
Kimmel’s monologue after the tragic event was critical of the MAGA movement and President Trump for blaming Kirk’s demise on “radical left”.
Kimmel apologized for the remarks he made. He became emotional at one stage and said, “It wasn’t my intention to lighten up a murder.”

Entertainment

Martin Herlihy Leaving ‘Saturday Night Live’ After 5 Years

Martin Herlihy has left NBC’s Saturday Night Live, after a stint of five seasons as a writer/performer.
Herlihy, Ben Marshall and John Higgins were all members of the Please Don’t Destroy Comedy troupe when Herlihy first joined SNL. The trio spent four years making sketches for SNL’s late-night program. Marshall, however, was recently promoted and Higgins decided to leave to become an actor.
Herlihy chose to remain on the show as a writer. He did so for the 51st Season, and also made occasional appearances in sketches.
Marshall will continue to be a prominent player on Season 52, while Higgins is booking acting roles. These include recurring parts in the second season of ABC Scrubs as well as Apple TV Stick.
Herlihy’s father Tim Herlihy had a similarly long stay on SNL as a writer in the 1990s, before leaving in order to concentrate on writing feature films in collaboration with Adam Sandler, another SNL alumni.
Chloe Fineman, the sole confirmed SNL departing cast member after Season 51. After a series of auditions this summer, it is anticipated that the cast for Season 51 will be finalized in the coming week.
LateNighter was the first to report on this exit.

Entertainment

Hollywood Movies to Put Musk, Zuckerberg, Holmes on Trial

Hollywood’s obsession for Silicon Valley will soon reach fever pitch as four major movies are set to tackle controversial tech moguls.
Then there’s the fact that all the films have important dates in October. This results in an extraordinary theme pile-up, as California industries take on each other.
Three of these projects all released teaser trailers within 48-hours of one another earlier this week.
Aaron Sorkin’s The Social Reckoning stars Jeremy Strong as Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, in a follow-up (or companion piece, as Sony insists it be called) to The Social Network. The film opens in theaters on October 9.
Andrew Garfield plays OpenAI CEO Sam Altman in Luca Guadagnino’s Artificial during a 5-day leadership crisis, when Altman is fired then reinstated to his position as CEO. The Neon movie premieres Oct. 5, at the New York Film Festival (and will be released in limited quantities on December 25).
There are also two documentaries of epic length.
Alex Gibney’s dissection of Tesla and SpaceX tycoon Elon Musk is titled Musk. It runs for nearly four hours, and will be released on select screens from Bleecker St., after its premiere at Venice, Tuesday, Oct. 16.
You Can See Everything by Nathan Fielder and Lance Oppenheim, the A24 surprise project dropped in Telluride and follows Theranos’ founder Elizabeth Holmes as she prepares to enter federal prison. This three-hour movie will also be released in cinemas on October 16.
Should we begin naming release dates now that are head to head? ElonBeth? MuskEverything? Elon Musk? Perhaps not).
Silicon Valley executives are egoists, who talk in grandiose words, claim they help humanity but value power and ambition over safety and ethics, with potential catastrophic results.
If you look at November’s projects, we have another one: Graham Moore’s Netflix series The Altruists. It follows the fall of the crypto exchange FTX, and Anthony Boyle stars as Sam Bankman Fried, the co-founder, and Julia Garner plays Alameda Research CEO Caroline Ellison.
Dramas are being viewed with some skepticism about whether they will be a hit. The Social Reckoning Trailer has been compared to its much-loved precursor The Social Network. Amazon MGM dropped Artificial due to apparent conflicts of interest, and several studios passed before Neon acquired it. This has caused some industry insiders speculate that the film may be lacking. It’s too soon to draw any conclusions. Neither film has even been screened in front of a festival crowd.
However, the initial buzz is astronomical. Both You Can See Everything and Musk have received positive reviews at the respective festivals and are both currently rated 100 percent on Rotten Tomatoes. The Hollywood Reporter reviewed Musk and left their critic in “outrage” for “225 minutes”. Our review of You Can See Everything described it as “fascinatingly slick and dizzyingly brilliant.” The brilliant trailer for You Can See Everything generated immense interest and was immediately meme-able.
Silicon Valley has pledged to disrupt Hollywood for years (and, in some cases, succeeded). With this strange coincidence of timing, Hollywood is now returning the favor.
Here are trailers of all four films.