Eric Bauza, voice of Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck, dies aged 46
The Emmy-winning actor’s family announced his sudden death. Bauza voiced several of animation’s best-known characters and recently performed multiple roles in Coyote vs. Acme.
Eric Bauza, the Emmy-winning actor who supplied the voices of Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck and numerous other animated characters, has died aged 46, his family announced. A statement posted on his Instagram account said his death was sudden and that further details would follow.
Bauza died on Sunday from hypertensive cardiovascular disease, according to Los Angeles County Medical Examiner records cited by CNN. His death comes shortly after the release of Coyote vs. Acme, in which he performed several of the Looney Tunes franchise’s most recognisable roles.
The Canadian actor’s career spanned more than two decades, extending well beyond the characters most closely associated with him. RTÉ reported that his television credits included The Adventures of Puss in Boots, Teen Titans Go! and Muppet Babies, reflecting a working life spread across different animation styles and audiences.
Within Looney Tunes, Bauza’s responsibilities covered an unusually broad ensemble rather than a single signature character. Alongside Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck, he voiced characters including Porky Pig, Tweety and Elmer Fudd. Those performances made him a recurring presence in contemporary productions featuring the long-established cartoon cast.
His feature-film work included Space Jam: A New Legacy in 2021, in which he voiced Daffy Duck, Porky Pig, Elmer Fudd and Foghorn Leghorn, according to the BBC report. He returned to several of those characters in Coyote vs. Acme, bringing multiple distinct voices to the same production rather than appearing in just one role.
Bauza also voiced Toad General in The Super Mario Bros. Movie and its sequel, The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, the BBC reported. His credits crossed studio and franchise boundaries, while his television performances earned him three Children’s and Family Emmy Awards, according to RTÉ.
Born in Ontario and of Filipino descent, Bauza grew up watching Looney Tunes and imitating its characters, he told NBC News in a 2021 interview cited by the BBC. He described the cartoons’ comedy as something audiences could understand across languages and cultures, connecting his childhood enthusiasm with his later professional work.
Warner Bros. Television Group and US Networks chair Channing Dungey paid tribute to Bauza’s talent and his place within the studio’s animation community. In a statement reported by RTÉ, she said he had worked with Warner Bros. Animation for 15 years and regarded continuing the Looney Tunes tradition as a major honour.
His death leaves the animation industry mourning a performer whose work connected familiar characters with new television and film audiences. The family’s initial announcement said more information would be shared later; it did not set out a timetable for further statements or memorial arrangements.
Primary source: BBC World. Newzly rewrites and structures source reporting for clarity; verify critical details at the original.