The 10 Most Surprising Voice Actors In 'Transformers' TV Series & Movies

TV & Film

Nov 24

Every animated series relies on its voiceover talent, and The Transformers is no exception. The Transformers franchise is truly remarkable, however, in the sheer star power that producers have secured for their Transformers-related projects, both animated and live-action, some of which have been particularly surprising, especially for the franchise films. Here is a list of the top ten most surprising actors who have provided voice talent for the forty-year-old franchise.

10. Casey Kasem

Longtime popular radio host for Casey’s American Top 40 and accomplished voiceover artist for Hanna-Barbera, Casey Kasem, provided the voiceover for several Transformer characters, including Cliffjumper (his best-known character), Bluestreak, Teletraan I, and Dr. Arkeville, during the original The Transformers (1984-1987) through the first two seasons, as well as the titular 1986 animated movie, The Transformers The Movie (1986). He left the series during its third season due to what he perceived as offensive caricatures of Arabs and Arab countries in one episode. That episode, presumably Thief in the Night, featured an Arab dictator of the fictional Middle Eastern country of “Carbombya,” who is discovered to be cooperating with the Decepticons.

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9. John Moschitta, Jr.

Listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as the world’s fastest talker and best known as the fast-talking Micro Machines advertiser, John Moschitta Jr. performed the voiceover of the fast-talking Autobot Blurr. Introduced in The Transformers The Movie (1986), Moschitta also appeared as Blurr in Seasons three and four of the original animated series. He later reprised the role for Transformers Animated (2007-2009).

8. Robert Stack

Veteran American film and television actor Robert Stack (Airplane, The Untouchables TV Series, Unsolved Mysteries) performed the voiceover as the Autobot character, Ultra Magnus, introduced in The Transformers The Movie (1986).

7. Eric Idle

Veteran British actor and longtime Monty Python comedy troupe member performed the voiceover as the Autobot Junkion character, Wreck-Gar, introduced in The Transformers The Movie (1986).

6. Leonard Nimoy

Famous for his role as Spock from Star Trek: The Original Series, Nimoy provided the voiceover for the new Decepticon leader, Galvatron, introduced in The Transformers The Movie (1986). He also provided the voiceover work for the former Autobot-leader-turned-traitor, Sentinel Prime, in the live-action Transformers: Dark of the Moon (2011). Interestingly, as Sentinel Prime, he quotes Spock verbatim from Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan (1982): “The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the one.”

5. Orson Welles

The late legendary actor Orson Welles’ (Citizen Kane) final credited role, completed right before his passing, was as the villainous planet-eater Unicron, introduced as an existential threat to Autobots and Decepticons alike, in The Transformers The Movie (1986).

4. Weird Al Yankovic

Popular song parody artist Weird Al Yankovic not only contributed one of his early hits, Dare To Be Stupid, to The Transformers The Movie (1986), but he also performed the voiceover for the Junkion character Wreck-Gar in Transformers Animated (2007-2009). His song, Dare to Be Stupid, was featured during the scene of the Autobots briefly battling against the Junkions, including Wreck-Gar, in The Transformers The Movie (1986).

3. Chris Hemsworth

Actor Chris Hemsworth, best known for portraying Thor in the Marvel Cinematic Universe films, performed the voiceover work as the heroic Autobot leader, Orion Pax/Optimus Prime, in the latest Transformers film, Transformers One.

2. Laurence Fishburne

Popular Hollywood actor Laurence Fishburne performed the voiceover work as the enigmatic former Cybertronian “Prime,” Alpha Trion, in the latest Transformers film, Transformers One (2024).

1. Hugo Weaving

Popular science-fiction and fantasy actor Hugo Weaving (The Lord of the Rings, The Matrix) performed the voiceover work as the evil Decepticon leader, Megatron, in the first three live-action “Bayverse” Transformers films, Transformers (2007), Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (2009), and Transformers: Dark of the Moon (2011).

Tony Todd (Honorable Mention)

Recently deceased veteran horror film actor Tony Todd (Candyman) voiced the villain, The Fallen, in the live-action Transformers film Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (2009).

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