Voice actor behind Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck dies, aged 46

Eric Bauza, the voice actor behind the modern-day Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck, among other iconic animated characters, has died at age 46, according to his family and official health records.

The Emmy Award-winner died on Sunday from hypertensive cardiovascular disease, according to records from the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner.

Bauza’s family said in a statement on his social media pages that he died “suddenly”.

During his career, Bauza tallied hundreds of voice acting credits with multiple studios, including Disney, DreamWorks and Cartoon Network.

He voiced a bevy of Looney Tunes characters in the recently released movie Coyote vs. Acme, taking on Tweety, Porky Pig, Elmer Fudd and Foghorn Leghorn, in addition to providing the New York accent of Bugs Bunny and the distinctive lisp of Daffy Duck.

Read more

Dairy farmer and former councillor found dead in Queensland floods

The film was produced by Warner Animation Group while it was a part of Warner Bros. Discovery, which like CNN, is now owned by Skydance.

Just a day before his death, Bauza shared a photo of himself with The Simpsons director David Silverman at the annual LightBox Expo event in California.

Born in Toronto, Bauza moved from Canada to the United States to study animation, picking up voiceover work in his spare time, according to his IMDB profile.

He began his career in animation as a character designer working for production studios in Hollywood, according to SBV Talent agency, which represented Bauza.

“It was this introduction to the animation world that led him to a successful career as one of the most in demand voiceover artists in town,” the agency said.

In 2022, Bauza won an Emmy Award for outstanding voice performance in an animated program for his Looney Tunes roles. He also won Emmy Awards in 2023 and 2025.

Other characters Bauza brought to life include Puss in Boots from The Adventures of Puss in Boots, Splinter from the Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and Fozzie Bear from Muppet Babies.

On the big screen, he also lent his voice to Woody Woodpecker in the animated film of the same name and portrayed Toad General in The Super Mario Bros. Movie.

Tributes have poured in from fans and colleagues, celebrating Bauza’s remarkable contributions to animation and the joy he brought to screens over his two-decade career.

Fellow voice actor Jim Cummings, behind the voices of Winnie the Pooh, Tigger and the Tasmanian Devil, expressed his sorrow in response to the family’s statement, describing Bauza as “such a kind young man” and stating he is “at a loss for words.”

Director Adam Rosette also wrote on Instagram: “I’m absolutely devastated. Eric was my first friend when I moved to LA in 2010. We shared a desk at a small animation studio, drawing and laughing constantly. I’ll never forget the day he left to pursue voice acting full-time, and watching him go on to become an absolute legend.”

- CNN