Eric Bauza, voice of Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck, has passed away

Eric Bauza, the Emmy-winning actor who gave voice to Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck and a long list of other Looney Tunes favorites, has died at age 46, Variety reported. He died on Sunday at his home, according to Variety.

His family shared the news in a statement posted to his Instagram account, saying his death came suddenly, The Hollywood Reporter said. Records from the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner list hypertensive cardiovascular disease as the cause, Variety reported.

Key facts

• Bauza died at home on Sunday at age 46, Variety reported.
• The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner gave the cause as hypertensive cardiovascular disease, according to Variety.
• He voiced Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Tweety, Elmer Fudd, Foghorn Leghorn, Porky Pig and Road Runner, Variety said.
• He earned three Children's and Family Emmy Awards, in 2022, 2023 and 2024, Deadline reported.
• He had more than 400 acting credits across a career that began in 2001, according to Variety.

Background

Bauza's screen career started with The Ripping Friends in 2001, Variety reported. Over the next two decades and more, he built up a body of work that topped 400 credits, Variety said.

He became best known as the current voice of the classic Warner Bros. cartoon cast. Along with Bugs and Daffy, he played Tweety, Elmer Fudd, Foghorn Leghorn, Porky Pig and Road Runner, according to Variety. Those roles included work on this year's Looney Tunes feature Coyote vs. Acme, Variety reported.

His Looney Tunes credits also include the film Space Jam: A New Legacy and the series Looney Tunes Cartoons, Variety said. That series led to a milestone. In 2022, he took home the very first Children's and Family Emmy for Outstanding Voice Performance in an Animated Program for his work on Looney Tunes Cartoons, Deadline reported.

He won that same voice award a second time in 2024, this time for Teen Titans Go!, according to Deadline. In between, in 2023, he won the preschool voice performance Emmy for Bugs Bunny Builders, Deadline said. Earlier in his career, he drew five Daytime Emmy nominations, Variety reported.

His range went well past Looney Tunes. Deadline listed Stimpy, Puss in Boots and Woody Woodpecker among his roles, the outlet reported. He also voiced characters in The Super Mario Bros. Movie and in X-Men '97, according to Deadline.

Channing Dungey, chairman of Warner Bros. Television Group and U.S. Networks, said Bauza had worked at Warner Bros. Animation for 15 years, The Hollywood Reporter said. Dungey also placed him in a long line of Looney Tunes performers, Deadline reported: "He followed in the footsteps of giants like Mel Blanc."

Bauza had also recently been named to The Hollywood Reporter's first Animation Power list, the outlet said.

What it means for you

For many fans, Bauza was the sound of Bugs and Daffy for a new generation. Children who grew up with Looney Tunes Cartoons or Bugs Bunny Builders heard his voice in those shows, Deadline reported. Moviegoers heard him this year in Coyote vs. Acme, according to Variety.

His death also lands in the middle of an active stretch of new work. He had planned to be at Sunday's premiere of The Cat in the Hat from Warner Bros. Pictures Animation, The Hollywood Reporter said. He was set to attend in support of Daffy Season, a short film that runs ahead of that movie, the outlet reported.

Fans who want to revisit his performances can look to the titles named in his credits. They include Space Jam: A New Legacy and Looney Tunes Cartoons, Variety reported. Outside Warner Bros. cartoons, they include The Super Mario Bros. Movie and X-Men '97, according to Deadline.

What happens next

When he died, Bauza was in pre-production on Bye Bye Bunny: A Looney Tunes Musical, Variety reported. He was attached to that project as the voice of Daffy Duck, according to Variety.

Warner Bros. has paid tribute to his work. Dungey, who leads the studio's TV group, pointed to his 15 years at Warner Bros. Animation, The Hollywood Reporter said.

FAQ

How old was Eric Bauza when he died?

He was 46, Variety reported. He died on Sunday at his home, according to Variety.

What was the cause of death?

Los Angeles County Medical Examiner records list hypertensive cardiovascular disease, Variety reported.

Which characters did Eric Bauza voice?

He voiced Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Tweety, Elmer Fudd, Foghorn Leghorn, Porky Pig and Road Runner, Variety said. He also played Stimpy, Puss in Boots and Woody Woodpecker, Deadline reported.

What awards did he win?

He won the first Children's and Family Emmy for voice work in an animated program in 2022 and won it again in 2024, Deadline reported. He also won a preschool voice Emmy in 2023 for Bugs Bunny Builders, according to Deadline.

What was he working on?

He was in pre-production on Bye Bye Bunny: A Looney Tunes Musical as Daffy Duck, Variety reported.

Where was he expected on the day he died?

He had been due at the premiere of The Cat in the Hat to support Daffy Season, a short shown before the film, The Hollywood Reporter said.

How did his career begin?

His first credit was The Ripping Friends in 2001, Variety reported. He went on to log more than 400 credits, according to Variety.