The Emmy-winning voice actor helped bring Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, and Porky Pig to new generations, carrying on the Looney Tunes tradition Mel Blanc established.
Eric Bauza, the Emmy-winning voice actor who brought Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Porky Pig and numerous other animated characters to life for a new generation, has died at age 46. His work helped preserve the personalities of some of animation's most recognizable characters while introducing them to audiences who may never have seen their original cartoons.
Bauza died Sunday, October 25, at his home. According to the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner, the cause of death was hypertensive cardiovascular disease.
His family announced his death on Instagram, describing his passing as sudden.
"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," the family said.
Bauza spent more than two decades working in animation, building a career that included television series, feature films and commercial campaigns. For about 15 years, he worked closely with Warner Bros. Animation and its Looney Tunes characters.
Channing Dungey, chairman of Warner Bros. Television Group and U.S. Networks, and Bill Damaschke, president and chief creative officer of Warner Bros. Pictures Animation, remembered Bauza in a joint statement.
"Eric Bauza was a unique voice talent who brought joy and laughter to millions around the world," they said.
The executives noted that Bauza considered continuing the legacy of Mel Blanc, the original voice behind many Looney Tunes characters, one of the greatest honors of his career.
"In addition to his incredible talent, Eric was a treasured part of our animation family. Our hearts go out to his loved ones," the statement continued.
Born December 7, 1979, in Toronto, Canada, Bauza began his career as a character designer before establishing himself as a voice actor. His early work in animation gave him experience with the visual side of cartoon production before he became known for performing the characters himself.
He later moved to Los Angeles, where he developed a career that required him to move easily between characters with very different voices and personalities. In some productions, he performed several roles, drawing on the versatility that had made Blanc's original performances so memorable.
Taking on characters made famous by Blanc was a considerable responsibility. Bauza approached the work with respect for the original performances while finding ways to make the characters entertaining for contemporary audiences.
His work with Warner Bros. included Looney Tunes Cartoons, Bugs Bunny Builders, and Space Jam: A New Legacy. He also voiced several familiar characters in Coyote vs. Acme (2026), including Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Tweety, Elmer Fudd, Foghorn Leghorn, Porky Pig and the Road Runner.
In The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie, Bauza voiced both Daffy Duck and Porky Pig, giving the two longtime animated partners distinct personalities as they faced an extraterrestrial threat.
FlickDirect's Allison Rose interviewed Bauza in March 2025 about his work on the film. Their conversation focused on Daffy and Porky, the responsibility of following Mel Blanc and the continued appeal of Looney Tunes animation.
Bauza's career extended well beyond Looney Tunes. His television credits included The Adventures of Puss in Boots, Muppet Babies, Teen Titans Go! and Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
His feature-film work included The Book of Life, The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water, and Woody Woodpecker. He also contributed voice work to DreamWorks Animation's Forgotten Island.
Bauza received Emmy recognition for his work in animation, along with nominations from the Annie Awards and other industry organizations. His ability to perform multiple characters helped make him a familiar presence in modern animated productions, even when audiences did not immediately recognize the person behind the voices.
His work also reached audiences through advertising. Bauza voiced Lucky the Leprechaun for Lucky Charms and the Trix Rabbit for Trix cereal, along with familiar animated characters appearing in campaigns for companies including Nike and Walmart.
For generations of viewers, Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck and Porky Pig have been recognizable through their voices as much as their appearances. Bauza understood that connection and spent much of his career helping those characters remain familiar without losing what made them distinctive.
In March 2025, Bauza sat down with FlickDirect's Allison Rose to discuss voicing Daffy Duck and Porky Pig in The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie. The original FlickDirect interview offers an opportunity to hear Bauza discuss the characters and the animation legacy he helped carry forward.
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