One of the more exciting portions of Paramount's recent Transformers HD DVD preview event was the opportunity to chat with Peter Cullen, the man who provided the voice of Autobot leader Optimus Prime for both the live-action film and the animated series that preceded it. Speaking during the luncheon afterward, Cullen revealed that his presence in the blockbuster flick was anything but a given. In fact, the legendary voice actor had to audition three times before finally landing the role.
While Cullen himself dismissed the audition experience as "just part of the business" and had nothing but kind words to say about director Michael Bay, his stunning admission left most of the journalists on-hand dumbfounded. After all, in the minds of numerous Transformers fanboys such as myself, Cullen isn't simply the voice of Optimus; he is Optimus (albeit in the form of a kindly 63-year-old man). I can understand bringing him in for a tryout to ensure his vocal chords are intact, but three auditions seems a bit excessive. Would George Lucas have dared make James Earl Jones audition three times to voice Vader in Revenge of the Sith? Methinks he wouldn't dream of it.