Eric Bauza, the Emmy-winning voice actor known for bringing Looney Tunes favorites to life, has died suddenly at 46 following a battle with heart disease.
Bauza voiced iconic characters including Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck. His family announced his death in a post shared on Instagram.
Records from the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner list heart disease as the cause of Eric Bauza’s death.
In a statement, his family said: “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.”
The Canadian performer spent 25 years in the entertainment industry, voicing dozens of popular animated characters and earning three Emmy Awards for his work on Looney Tunes productions.
He also provided multiple voices in the animated comedy Coyote v Acme, released in August.
Looney Tunes star Eric Bauza has died suddenly at 46 after battling heart disease.
Among the characters he performed were Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Foghorn Leghorn, Pepé Le Pew, Porky Pig, Elmer Fudd and the Road Runner.
Bauza previously recalled being a devoted Looney Tunes fan as a child, often attempting to imitate the characters’ distinctive voices.
Speaking to NBC News in 2021, he said: “Looney Tunes transcends all languages and all cultures.
“It doesn’t matter what part of the planet you’re from. You get the comedy.”
Beyond his Looney Tunes work, Bauza played Toad General in 2023’s The Super Mario Bros. Movie and its sequel, The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, which became the fifth highest-grossing film internationally in 2026.
He received three Emmy Awards for outstanding voice performance, winning in 2022, 2023 and 2025 for roles in different animated series.
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Channing Dungey, chairman of Warner Bros. Television Group and US Networks, was among those who paid tribute to the late actor.
In a statement, Dungey said: “Eric Bauza was a unique voice talent who brought joy and laughter to millions around the world.
The Emmy-winning actor voiced iconic characters including Daffy Duck and Bugs Bunny, while his family announced his death on Instagram.
“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 honours of his life.”
Born in Scarborough, Ontario, Bauza began his voice-acting career on the Canadian animated series The Ripping Friends.
He began his animation career as a character designer for Hollywood production studios before building an extensive voice-acting résumé. His IMDb profile lists more than 421 credits across film, television and video games.
Bauza later became regarded as the definitive modern successor to legendary voice actor Mel Blanc, first taking on the iconic role of Bugs Bunny in 2018.
He was hired by showrunner Peter Browngardt to audition during breaks in recording sessions for Uncle Grandpa.
His official debut episodes eventually premiered with the launch of the HBO streaming series Looney Tunes Cartoons in 2020.
Film producer and screenwriter Christopher DeFaria, who worked with Eric on Coyote v Acme, told Variety he would be remembered for his ‘incredible impact’.
He said: ‘He’s a voiceover artist for animated characters that have historic precedents and roles, and somehow out of that, he carved out a place in this business.
‘This past year, he had such an incredible impact, both on our movie, of course, but also on bringing attention to this amazing art form.’