Eric Bauza, the Emmy-winning voice actor who became the modern voice of Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck and a whole cast of Looney Tunes favourites, has died at the age of 46. His family announced on Sunday, October 25, 2026, that he had "passed away suddenly," and records from the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner list his cause of death as hypertensive cardiovascular disease, with the manner of death recorded as natural.
The news has prompted an outpouring of tributes from fellow actors, animators and fans, many of whom credit Bauza with keeping the spirit of the original Looney Tunes alive for a new generation. For millions of viewers, his was the voice they grew up hearing — a rabbit's cool Brooklyn swagger, a duck's spluttering lisp, and a dozen other personalities, all from one remarkably versatile performer.
The voice behind the Looney Tunes revival
Bauza voiced Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck in the modern era of Looney Tunes, alongside Porky Pig, Elmer Fudd, Foghorn Leghorn, Tweety, Marvin the Martian and the Road Runner, among others. He often spoke of his respect for Mel Blanc, the original voice of most of the characters, calling Blanc "the blueprint of these characters" in an August 2026 interview.
"They're not just voices; these are personalities that we've been familiar with now for 90 years — it's like your oldest family members," Bauza said in that interview. That sense of stewardship defined his work: the voices were familiar, but they were never imitations for their own sake. They carried the timing, mischief and warmth that made the characters endure.
His final major showcase came in Coyote vs. Acme, which finally opened in August 2026 after a long delay. Bauza voiced 11 characters in the film, including Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Elmer Fudd, Foghorn Leghorn, Porky Pig, Pepé Le Pew, Tweety and the Road Runner. His final released film was Forgotten Island, which reached theatres last month. Just a day before his death, he had shared a photo from the annual LightBox Expo event in California.
From Toronto to Hollywood
Born in Toronto, Canada, Bauza moved to the United States to study animation, picking up voiceover work in his spare time. He began his career in animation as a character designer for Hollywood production studios, an introduction to the animation world that, his agency SBV Talent said, led him to become "one of the most in demand voiceover artists in town."
He got his start as a production assistant in 2001 on The Ripping Friends, and went on to build hundreds of voice credits across Disney, DreamWorks and Cartoon Network. His work won three Children's & Family Emmy Awards, each for a different project: Looney Tunes Cartoons, Bugs Bunny Builders and Teen Titans Go!
A career far beyond one rabbit hole
Outside Looney Tunes, Bauza's credits spanned an extraordinary range. He played Puss in Boots in The Adventures of Puss in Boots, Baby Fozzie in Muppet Babies, and roles in Avatar: The Last Airbender projects, Space Jam: A New Legacy, Rick and Morty, Bob's Burgers, Spidey and His Amazing Friends and Disney's Little Mermaid series Ariel, among many others.
At the time of his death, he was also in pre-production on Bye Bye Bunny: A Looney Tunes Musical, in which he was set to voice Daffy Duck. Warner Bros. Television Group chairman Channing Dungey paid tribute to his 15 years at Warner Bros. Animation, saying he had brought joy and laughter to millions. Coyote vs. Acme producer Chris DeFaria remembered his dedication to animation and his enthusiasm for the art form.
Tributes from friends and co-stars
Actor Jack Quaid, Bauza's Star Trek: Lower Decks co-star, wrote: "This is absolutely devastating. Had the honor of getting to know him over the years. I always looked up to him both as a voice actor and as a person. What an absolute legend and one of the kindest people I've ever met."
RuPaul's Drag Race star and fellow voice actor Nina West called Bauza "one of the very best to ever do it, and beyond all of his talents, he was the kindest and sweetest man who will be deeply missed." Teen Titans Go! co-star Khary Payton wrote that he was "in awe" of Bauza's talent, adding: "How is a guy that talented, also so sweet and generous and genuine?! I am better in many ways having known him."
His manager, Judy Coppage, said: "Eric was a unique and versatile voice actor who was loved by everyone he knew and worked with. His sudden passing is a shock to all of us, and he will be deeply missed. It's a profound loss for his family, the animation industry and his fans."
Bauza leaves behind a body of work that will keep playing for generations: the voices are already part of childhoods past, present and future. That's a fitting legacy for a performer who treated these characters not as old cartoons, but as family. What's new, Doc? For now, the Looney Tunes world is a little quieter — and a lot of us will miss him.
Watch: Learn to Draw Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, and Marvin the Martian — Interview with Voice Actor Eric Bauza
Music in this post's reel: Kevin MacLeod - Volatile Reaction (incompetech.com), licensed under CC BY 3.0
Sources: CNN; Entertainment Weekly; USA Today.