Credit : Variety's X
Eric Bauza, the Emmy Award-winning voice actor who became the modern voice of Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck, has died at the age of 46, Variety reported on October 26, 2026.
Bauza died on Sunday at his home as a result of hypertensive cardiovascular disease, according to Los Angeles County Medical Examiner records cited by the entertainment trade publication. His death was first announced by his family in a statement shared on the actor’s Instagram account.
“Eric Bauza, Emmy Award-winning voice actor and the modern voice of iconic Looney Tunes characters Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck, along with dozens of other beloved cartoon characters, has passed away suddenly,” the family wrote. “More details to come.”
The voice of a generation of Looney Tunes
Over the course of his career, Bauza was one of the most in-demand voiceover performers in animation. Beyond Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck, he voiced Tweety, Elmer Fudd, Foghorn Leghorn, Porky Pig, Road Runner and Charlie the Dog, among others, in this year’s Looney Tunes film “Coyote vs. Acme”. He also lent his voice to “Space Jam: A New Legacy” and the “Looney Tunes Cartoons” series.
In Variety’s review of the 2024 film “The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie”, critic Peter Debruge described Bauza, who voiced both Porky and Daffy, as a “vocal MVP” who “brings a manic energy to the pair”.
Bauza amassed more than 400 acting credits, beginning with “The Ripping Friends” in 2001. His work spanned “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 had worked on projects including “Chibiverse”, “Minions & Monsters”, “Forgotten Island”, “Rick and Morty”, “Superkitties” and “Avatar: Seven Havens”.
Awards and unfinished work
Bauza received five Daytime Emmy nominations for his work on “Looney Tunes Cartoons”, “Muppet Babies” and “The Adventures of Puss in Boots”. He won three Children’s & Family Emmy Awards, for “Teen Titans Go!”, “Bugs Bunny Builders” and “Looney Tunes Cartoons”, and was also nominated for “Daffy in Wackyland”.
At the time of his death, he was in pre-production on two projects: “Bye Bye Bunny: A Looney Tunes Musical”, in which he was to voice Daffy Duck, and “The Dragon Masters”, as The Shogun King.
Tributes pour in
Chris DeFaria, producer of “Coyote vs. Acme”, told Variety he would remember Bauza for his “absolutely tireless dedication” to animation and his “pure expression of dedication, talent, enthusiasm, love and fun”.
“He embodied everything we wanted from this film, including the major theme of the movie that a little guy can make a difference in this world,” DeFaria said.
Channing Dungey, chairman of Warner Bros. Television Group and US Networks, said Bauza “brought joy and laughter to millions around the world” during his 15 years at Warner Bros. Animation. “He followed in the footsteps of giants like Mel Blanc. Eric said that carrying on the legendary legacy of the Looney Tunes was among the greatest honors of his life,” Dungey said, adding that Bauza was “a treasured part of our animation family”.
Born on December 7, 1979, in Scarborough, Toronto, Bauza started out in animation as a character designer at a Hollywood production studio before moving in front of the microphone. He worked in the animation department on titles including “The Drawn Together Movie!”, “Slacker Cats” and “El Tigre: The Adventures of Manny Rivera”.
Variety shared the news on X. The full report is available on Variety.
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