Emmy-Winning Voice Actor Eric Bauza Dies at 46

Eric Bauza, the Emmy Award-winning voice actor known as the modern voice of Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, and dozens of other iconic Looney Tunes characters, died Sunday at age 46. According to Los Angeles County Medical Examiner records, he died of hypertensive cardiovascular disease at his home. His family announced the news via Instagram on Sunday evening, describing his passing as "sudden" and stating that more details would follow.

Bauza was born December 7, 1979, in Scarborough, Ontario, and began his animation career as a character designer before transitioning to voice acting. Over a 23-year career spanning more than 400 acting credits, he became one of the industry's most prolific voice performers. He won three Children's & Family Emmy Awards for his work on "Teen Titans Go!," "Bugs Bunny Builders," and "Looney Tunes Cartoons," and received five Daytime Emmy nominations. He succeeded legendary voice actor Mel Blanc in voicing multiple Looney Tunes characters simultaneously.

Beyond Looney Tunes, Bauza's extensive voice work included characters in "Avatar: The Last Airbender," "Space Jam: A New Legacy," "Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles," "Rick and Morty," and numerous other animated series and films. In 2024, he voiced multiple characters in the theatrical film "Coyote vs. Acme." At the time of his death, he was scheduled to attend the premiere of Warner Bros. Pictures Animation's "The Cat in the Hat" on Sunday to support "Daffy Season," a short film. He was also in pre-production on two projects: "Bye Bye Bunny: A Looney Tunes Musical" and "The Dragon Masters."

Channing Dungey, chairman of Warner Bros. Television Group and U.S. Networks, paid tribute to Bauza in a statement, saying he "brought joy and laughter to millions around the world" during his 15 years at Warner Bros. Animation and calling him "a treasured part of our animation family." Producer Chris DeFaria noted Bauza's "absolutely tireless dedication" to the animation art form and his embodiment of the film's core themes.