Eric Bauza, Voice of Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, & More, Dies at 46

Eric Bauza, the Emmy-winning voice actor behind the beloved Looney Tunes characters Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, and more, has died. He was 46.

His manager, Judy Coppage, confirmed the passing, saying in a statement, “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.”

According to the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner, cited by CBS News, Bauza died from hypertensive cardiovascular disease, which the Cleveland Clinic describes as “a condition with damage to your heart from years of unmanaged or undermanaged high blood pressure.”

Bauza’s family also released a brief statement on Instagram, writing, “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. More details to come.”

 

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The Canadian-born actor took over from the legendary Mel Blanc as the voice of Looney Tunes’ most famous characters. This included Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Foghorn Leghorn, Porky Pig, Road Runner, Tweety Bird, Pepé Le Pew, Marvin the Martian, Elmer Fudd, and more.

Bauza won his first Emmy in 2022, picking up the first-ever Children’s and Family Emmy Award for Outstanding Voice Performance in an Animated Program for his work on Looney Tunes Cartoons. He won the award again in 2024 for Teen Titans Go!, and in 2023 he won an Outstanding Voice Performance in a Preschool Program Emmy for Bugs Bunny Builders.

Outside of Looney Tunes, Bauza also provided the voices for Puss in Boots, Stimpy, the animated Luke Skywalker, Woody Woodpecker, Bane, Two-Face, Aquaman, Bam-Bam Rubble, the animated Jason Bourne, Donatello, Leonardo, and many, many more.

More recently, he voiced Bugs, Daffy, Foghorn, and other Looney Tunes characters in this year’s hit Coyote vs. Acme movie. Speaking to CBS LA earlier this year when promoting the film, Bauza said, “All of my work is based off of the original voiceover artist, the great Mel Blanc; he was the original. I like to call him the blueprint of these characters.”

He continued, “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. So, that’s my history with them.”

Bauza made his final appearance in the Paramount+ animated fantasy action series Avatar: Seven Havens, where he voiced several characters.

Channing Dungey, Chairman, Warner Bros. Television Group, said in a statement, “Eric Bauza was a unique voice talent who brought joy and laughter to millions around the world. During his 15 years at Warner Bros. Animation, he was the voice of Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck among countless other characters.”

Dungey added, “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. In addition to his incredible talent, Eric was a treasured part of our animation family. Our hearts go out to his loved ones.”