Eric Bauza, the Emmy Award-winning voice actor behind Looney Tunes characters like Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck, died Sunday at his home of hypertensive cardiovascular disease, according to Los Angeles County medical examiner records. He was 46 years old.
Bauza’s death was announced by his family, who shared a statement on the actor’s Instagram account on Sunday.
“Eric Bauza, Emmy Award-winning voice actor and modern voice of iconic Looney Tunes characters Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck, as well as dozens of other beloved cartoon characters, has died suddenly,” they wrote. “More details to come.”
During his career, Bauza has been one of the most in-demand voice-over actors in the industry, lending his voice to characters like the aforementioned Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck, but also Tweety, Elmer Fudd, Foghorn Leghorn, Porky Pig, Road Runner, Charlie the Dog and others in this year’s Looney Tunes movie “Coyote vs. Acme.” He also voiced characters in “Space Jam: A New Legacy,” “Looney Tunes Cartoons” and more.
Bauza had over 400 acting credits to his name, with his first, “The Ripping Friends” in 2001. He went on to portray characters in “Avatar: The Last Airbender”, “Chowder”, “Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel”, “Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated”, “Fanboy & Chum Chum”, “Ben 10 Omniverse” and many others. In 2026 alone, Bauza had already lent his voice to projects such as “Chibiverse”, “Minions & Monsters”, “Forgotten Island”, “Rick and Morty”, “Superkitties” and “Avatar: Seven Havens”, among others.
In Variety In his review of the 2024 film “The Day the Earth Exploded: A Looney Tunes Movie,” Peter Debruge called Bauza, who voiced both Porky and Daffy, a “vocal MVP” who “brings a manic energy to the pair.”
Bauza was nominated for five Daytime Emmy Awards for his work on “Looney Tunes Cartoons,” “Mupped Babies” and “The Adventures of Puss in Boots.” He won three Children’s and Family Emmy Awards for “Teen Titans Go!” ,” “Bugs Bunny Builders” and “Looney Tunes Cartoons,” and earned a nomination for “Daffy in Wackyland.”
At the time of his death, Bauza was in pre-production on two projects, “Bye Bye Bunny: A Looney Tunes Musical” as Daffy Duck and “The Dragon Masters” as The Shogun King.
Chris DeFaria, who produced “Coyote vs. Acme,” said Variety that he remembered Bauza as someone with an “absolutely tireless dedication” to the art form of animation, and reflected on his “pure expression of dedication, talent, enthusiasm, love and fun”.
“He embodied everything we wanted from this film, including the major theme of the film that one little guy can make a difference in this world,” DeFaria said. “He’s a voiceover artist for animated characters who have historical precedents and roles, and somehow he’s carved out a niche for himself in this industry. And in the last year he’s had an incredible impact, both on our film, of course, but also in bringing attention to this incredible art form.”
“Eric Bauza was a unique vocal talent who brought joy and laughter to millions of people around the world. During his 15 years at Warner Bros. Animation, he was the voice of Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck among countless other characters,” said Channing Dungey, chairman of Warner Bros. Television Group. and American networks, in a press release. “He followed in the footsteps of giants like Mel Blanc. Eric said carrying on the legendary legacy of Looney Tunes was one of the greatest honors of his life. In addition to his incredible talent, Eric was a treasured member of our animation family. Our hearts go out to his loved ones.”
Bauza was born on December 7, 1979 in Scarborough, Toronto. According to his SBV talent bio, he began his career in animation as a character designer at a production studio in Hollywood. He worked in the animation department on films such as “Good Vibe”, “Nimbrod and Stinky’s Antarctic Adventure”, “The Drawn Together Movie!” », “Slacker Cats”, “El Tigre: The Adventures of Manny Rivera” and more.
Gn entert
