10 Things You Didn't Realise Inspired Iconic Movie Voices

The titular alien of the Predator film was voiced by Peter Cullen, who is best-known for providing the voice of Optimus Prime and... Eeyore? Wait, that was him? Huh...

Although most movie monsters snarl and roar, Cullen portrayed the iconic extra-terrestrial through clicking and gargling sounds. But what inspired him to portray the space hunter this way?

Well, it's a long story. In 1976, Cullen voiced King Kong in the critically-panned 1976 remake. For his recordings, the Transformers star had to roar for hours on end, which damaged his throat so badly, he coughed up blood. As a result, he avoided screaming for voice work, forcing him to find more creative ways to devise alien and monster sounds.

When he auditioned for Predator, the filmmakers showed him the creature's face to help him devise an appropriate voice. Cullen's was blown away by the alien's appearance, comparing it to a horseshoe crab. Because he had a vivid memory of a flailing horseshoe crab spluttering on the beach when he was younger, he tried to recreate the crackling, bubbling sounds it made. The voice director loved Cullen's performance so much, he cast him in the role then and there.