Eric Bauza, the Modern Voice of Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck, Dies at 46

For generations of fans, the Looney Tunes have been a constant, with Bugs Bunny’s wisecracks and Daffy Duck’s meltdowns passed down from one era to the next. Keeping those voices alive after legends like Mel Blanc is one of animation’s most demanding jobs, and few performers carried that responsibility as gracefully as Eric Bauza. The Canadian actor became the modern voice of Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, and many more beloved characters.

This year brought one of his proudest moments. In ‘Coyote vs. Acme’, Bauza voiced Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Tweety, Elmer Fudd, Foghorn Leghorn, Porky Pig, Road Runner and more, marking his first opportunity to portray Bugs in a feature film. Now the animation world is mourning. Bauza’s family announced on Instagram on Sunday night that the Emmy-winning voice actor had passed away suddenly.

According to Los Angeles County Medical Examiner records reported by Variety, he died at his home as a result of hypertensive cardiovascular disease. He is survived by his wife, Jessica, whom he married in 2016, and their son.

Warner Bros. Television Group Chair Channing Dungey paid tribute shortly after the news broke. “Eric Bauza was a unique voice talent who brought joy and laughter to millions around the world,” Dungey said in a statement shared with Deadline, calling him an incredible talent.

Bauza took on the enormous task of voicing Bugs Bunny in 2018, becoming the eighth actor to portray the iconic rabbit, a role he shared with Jeff Bergman. His Looney Tunes repertoire eventually spanned more than a dozen characters, including Sylvester, Yosemite Sam, Marvin the Martian, Pepé Le Pew, Speedy Gonzales and the Tasmanian Devil.

He also brought the gang to life in ‘Space Jam: A New Legacy’, where he voiced Daffy Duck, Porky Pig, Foghorn Leghorn, Elmer Fudd and Marvin the Martian. On ‘Looney Tunes Cartoons’, he voiced both Bugs and Daffy.

Eric Bauza has sadly passed away at the age of 46. The modern voice of Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck alongside many other beloved characters. https://t.co/2rs7WE0ANW

— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) October 26, 2026

His work earned major recognition. In 2022, Bauza won the first-ever Children’s and Family Emmy Award for Outstanding Voice Performance in an Animated Program for ‘Looney Tunes Cartoons’, followed by additional Emmy wins in 2023 for ‘Bugs Bunny Builders’ and in 2025 for ‘Teen Titans Go!’.

He also received nominations for his work as the title character in ‘The Adventures of Puss in Boots’ and as Fozzie in ‘Muppet Babies’. Throughout his career, Bauza was credited with 935 voice roles across 249 titles, spanning TV, film, video games, and shorts.

Bauza’s range extended far beyond Looney Tunes. He voiced Stimpy, Woody Woodpecker, Bam-Bam Rubble, Donatello, Leonardo, Two-Face and Bane, along with Big Bob and Jimmy Pesto Sr. Gamers also knew his work from titles including ‘MultiVersus’, ‘Battletoads’ and ‘Batman: Arkham City’.

At the time of his death, he was in pre-production on ‘Bye Bye Bunny: A Looney Tunes Musical’, where he was set to voice Daffy Duck, and ‘The Dragon Masters’ as The Shogun King.

Bauza’s passion for animation never faded. In past interviews, he spoke enthusiastically about his dream projects, even pitching a ‘Duck Dodgers’ movie starring Daffy Duck and Marvin the Martian.

His loss leaves an enormous void in the animation community. Yet every time a new audience laughs at Bugs Bunny’s cleverness or Daffy Duck’s antics, his voice and talent will continue to bring joy.

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