Eric Bauza, the Emmy Award-winning voice actor who became the modern voice of Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck, died at his home on Sunday, 25 October. He was 46. Los Angeles County Medical Examiner records cited by Variety list the cause as hypertensive cardiovascular disease.
His family announced the death on his Instagram account the same day, saying he had passed away suddenly and that more details would follow. This year he had voiced a long list of characters in Coyote vs. Acme, the 2026 Looney Tunes feature.
The voice behind a cast of classics
Variety described Bauza as one of the industry's most in-demand voiceover actors. In Coyote vs. Acme he voiced not only Bugs and Daffy but also Tweety, Elmer Fudd, Foghorn Leghorn, Porky Pig, Road Runner and Charlie the Dog, among others. He also worked on Space Jam: A New Legacy and Looney Tunes Cartoons.
He had more than 400 acting credits, starting with The Ripping Friends in 2001 and going on to Avatar: The Last Airbender, Chowder, Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel, Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated, Fanboy & Chum Chum and Ben 10 Omniverse. In 2026 alone he voiced roles in Chibiverse, Minions & Monsters, Forgotten Island, Rick and Morty, Superkitties and Avatar: Seven Havens. Reviewing The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie in 2024, Variety critic Peter Debruge called Bauza, who voiced both Porky and Daffy, a “vocal MVP” who “brings a manic energy to the pair.”
| Award | Result | Work |
|---|---|---|
| Daytime Emmy | 5 nominations | Looney Tunes Cartoons, Muppet Babies, The Adventures of Puss in Boots |
| Children's & Family Emmy | 3 wins | Teen Titans Go!, Bugs Bunny Builders, Looney Tunes Cartoons |
| Children's & Family Emmy | 1 nomination | Daffy in Wackyland |
Table compiled by KBVN+ from Variety.
Bauza was born on 7 December 1979 in Scarborough, Toronto. According to his SBV talent bio, he began his animation career as a character designer at a Hollywood production studio and worked in the animation department on films including The Drawn Together Movie! and El Tigre: The Adventures of Manny Rivera. “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 US Networks. “He followed in the footsteps of giants like Mel Blanc.”
Borrowing Mel Blanc's Cadillac
Chris DeFaria, the former president of animation and innovative technology at Warner Bros. and producer of Coyote vs. Acme, paid tribute in a first-person piece for Variety. “The world lost a great voice,” he wrote.
DeFaria said Bauza revered Mel Blanc, who gave the characters their original voices, and “used to say he was only borrowing Mel’s Cadillac, and that he promised to return the keys when he was done.” After Blanc died in 1989, the voices he had carried alone were split among many performers. Bauza started with a few of them and soon was doing nearly all, a feat DeFaria said few, if any, had managed since Blanc. “He learned to be them, to think like Bugs, to scheme like Daffy, to stutter and squirm like Porky,” he wrote, adding that Bauza was self-taught.
Speaking to Variety, DeFaria said Bauza embodied everything the filmmakers wanted from Coyote vs. Acme, including its theme that a little guy can make a difference. He also recalled that Bauza was always late: “He was worth the wait every single time.”
What's next
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. His family has said more details will be shared. DeFaria closed his tribute with the Cadillac image: “I know you promised to return Mel’s keys when you’re done. Take your time. You always did.”