Eric Bauza, Voice of Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck, Dies Aged 46

Eric Bauza, the Emmy-winning Canadian voice actor who became the modern voice of Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck and Porky Pig, has died aged 46. His family announced on Instagram that he had died “suddenly”, and a report by the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner says he died at his home of hypertensive cardiovascular disease, CBC News reported.

Variety reported that Bauza died at home on Sunday 25 October, the BBC said. Tributes poured in from Warner Bros., fellow voice actors and fans who grew up with the characters he helped keep alive for a new generation.

Who Was Eric Bauza?

Bauza was born in Scarborough, Toronto, in 1979 and was of Filipino descent. He grew up a devoted fan of Looney Tunes and copied the characters’ voices as a child. “Looney Tunes transcends all languages and all cultures,” he told NBC News in 2021. “It doesn’t matter what part of the planet you’re from. You get the comedy.”

He worked with Warner Bros. Animation for about 15 years and had more than 400 acting credits, according to The Guardian. In 2020 he took on Bugs Bunny for HBO Max’s Looney Tunes Cartoons, which ran for six seasons. “It is a dream come true,” he told CBC Radio at the time, adding that it took two auditions and plenty of practice to land the roles.

Which Characters Did Eric Bauza Voice?

• Looney Tunes: Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Porky Pig, Tweety, Marvin the Martian, Elmer Fudd, Foghorn Leghorn and Road Runner.
• Films: Space Jam: A New Legacy (2021), The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023) and its sequel The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, in which he played the Toad General, and this summer’s hit Coyote vs. Acme.
• Television: The Looney Tunes Show, SpongeBob SquarePants and Bob’s Burgers, among many others.

Between 2022 and 2025 he won three Emmy awards for outstanding voice performance, for work on Teen Titans Go!, Bugs Bunny Builders and Looney Tunes Cartoons. This year he also voiced characters in Rick and Morty and Avatar: Seven Havens, and at the time of his death was in pre-production on Bye Bye Bunny: A Looney Tunes Musical, The Guardian reported.

How Are Colleagues Remembering Him?

Channing Dungey, chair of Warner Bros. Television Group and US Networks, called him “a unique voice talent who brought joy and laughter to millions around the world”, adding: “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.”

Fellow voice actor Josh Keaton remembered him as gifted and humble, with a warm smile. Animation historian Jerry Beck, who moderated a panel with Bauza at Lightbox Expo in Pasadena the day before he died, wrote that “he was vibrant and alive”, performing Bugs Bunny’s square-dance call from Hillbilly Hare to a packed room of aspiring artists.

What Is Hypertensive Cardiovascular Disease?

It is heart disease caused by long-term high blood pressure, which can thicken and strain the heart and blood vessels. High blood pressure often has no symptoms, which is why doctors recommend regular checks. If you are concerned about your own heart health, speak to a qualified medical professional.

For more entertainment news, read our report on Clayface topping the US box office and our explainer on how TV shows get renewed or cancelled.

Featured image: Gage Skidmore / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0. Eric Bauza speaking at San Diego Comic-Con; file photo. Image licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Sources

• CBC News — Scarborough’s Eric Bauza, modern voice of Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck and others, dead at 46 (26 October 2026).
• BBC News — Eric Bauza, voice of Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck, dies aged 46 (26 October 2026).
• The Guardian — Eric Bauza, award-winning Looney Tunes voice actor, dies aged 46 (26 October 2026).
• USA Today — Eric Bauza dead: ‘Looney Tunes’ voice actor dies at 46 (26 October 2026).