Voice actor Eric Bauza, the voice of Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck, dies at 46

The death

Eric Bauza died at home on Sunday, 25 October, aged 46. The Los Angeles County medical examiner's office listed hypertensive cardiovascular disease as the cause of death. His family announced the death in a statement on his Instagram account, saying he had "passed away suddenly" and that more details would follow. On Saturday, 24 October, he had posted a photo on Facebook with animator and director David Silverman at the LightBox Expo in Pasadena, and as of these reports the family had released no further information.

Career and roles

Born in Scarborough, Toronto, in 1979, Bauza spent 15 years at Warner Bros Animation and amassed more than 400 acting credits. His first credit came in 2001, in the series The Ripping Friends. He became best known for the Looney Tunes characters, voicing Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Porky Pig, Tweety, Foghorn Leghorn, Elmer Fudd and Road Runner, along with Sylvester, whom El Mundo calls Piolín. He also voiced characters in Space Jam: A New Legacy and Coyote vs. Acme, and played Toad General in The Super Mario Bros. Movie and its sequel, The Super Mario Galaxy Movie. In a 2021 interview with NBC News, cited by the BBC, he said he had copied Looney Tunes voices as a child and described the cartoons' reach this way:

“Looney Tunes transcends all languages and all cultures.”

Awards

El Mundo reports five Emmy nominations overall for Bauza, including for Looney Tunes Cartoons and Muppet Babies. He won three Emmys, the first a Children's and Family Emmy for best animated voice performance for Looney Tunes Cartoons in 2022. He won a second Children's and Family Emmy in 2024 for Teen Titans Go!, and a 2023 Emmy for voice performance in a preschool program for Bugs Bunny Builders. Daffy in Wackyland earned him another nomination. The timeline below traces the main milestones of his career.

Final projects

In 2026 Bauza worked on Chibiverse, Minions & Monsters, Forgotten Island, Rick and Morty, Superkitties and Avatar: Seven Havens. At the time of his death he was in pre-production on Bye Bye Bunny: A Looney Tunes Musical, in which he was due to play Daffy Duck, and on The Dragon Masters, where he was set to voice King Shogun. His voice work for Coyote vs. Acme was among the summer's releases, and he attended the film's Los Angeles premiere in August.

Reaction

Channeling Dungey, chair of Warner Bros. Television Group and US Networks, issued a statement that was reported by Variety and the Hollywood Reporter.

“Eric Bauza was a unique voice talent who brought joy and laughter to millions around the world.”

Dungey added that Bauza had described carrying on the Looney Tunes legacy as one of the greatest honors of his life. Christopher DeFaria, a film producer and screenwriter who worked with Bauza on Coyote vs. Acme, told Variety that Bauza would be remembered for his impact on the film and on animated voice work.