Ron Friedman died on September 16, 2025, at the age of 93, confirmed by his wife, Valeri Friedman. The screenwriter died due to complications from a lower gastrointestinal infection, with reports from Variety saying he died from cardiopulmonary arrest at the Motion Picture and Television Fund in Woodland Hills.
The screenwriter and producer was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and attended Carnegie Mellon University, where he received a B.A. in architecture. Fans would know his work for the hit animated series G.I. Joe, The Transformers, Iron Man, and Fantastic Four. He also worked on The Transformers: The Movie in 1986.
While getting his start in Hollywood thanks to Danny Kaye, he worked on various comedy dramas like Bewitched, The Andy Griffith Show, Gilligan’s Island, Happy Days, and The Fall Guy, to name a few. Friedman soon shifted to being an animation writer when Hasbro hired him to give G.I. Joe new life.
“Hasbro sent me the shrink-packed action figures, but there was no story yet. I decided to create these groups of families. I created the bad family, who was [the terrorist organization] COBRA, to whom I gave the battle cry, ‘Co-bra!’ and the good family, to whom I gave the battle cry, ‘Yo, Joe!'” he told The Hollywood Reporter in 2016.
He would later be known for having broken the hearts of young viewers when he was forced to kill off Optimus Prime in the 1986 movie. The movie underperformed at the box office, with children crying as they saw their robotic hero die on screen. Friedman was even harassed by parents for it.
“Hasbro didn’t know how to evaluate it. They didn’t recognize that Optimus Prime was the heartbeat of the Autobots. You cannot pass that over and have any hope of duplicating the success you had. Once you establish an icon, you’re a fool if you don’t try to preserve it,” he said.
In his career, Friedman worked on various well-known projects like the crime drama Starsky & Hutch, as well as Charlie’s Angels, Fantasy Island, and Vega$. He also worked with his good friend, Marvel legend Stan Lee. He also taught screenwriting at USC and Chapman University.
