Canadian voice actor Eric Bauza, known for Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck, dies at 46

Explainer

Eric Bauza, the Canadian voice actor who was the modern voice of Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck and dozens of other iconic cartoon characters, has died at the age of 46. His family announced his sudden death in a social media post on Sunday. The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner said Bauza died at his home of hypertensive cardiovascular disease, a group of conditions caused by long-term high blood pressure. The Emmy Award-winning performer from Scarborough, Ont., was a celebrated successor to the legendary Mel Blanc. Bauza's family wrote on his Instagram profile that the "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." They indicated they would share more details at a later time. Warner Bros. Television Group and US Networks chair Channing Dungey and Warner Bros. Pictures Animation president Bill Damaschke said in a joint statement that Bauza was a "unique voice talent" who brought joy to millions.

What were Eric Bauza's most famous roles?

Eric Bauza was best known for voicing the core Looney Tunes ensemble, a role he inherited as a modern successor to the late Mel Blanc. He voiced Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Porky Pig, Tweety Bird, Elmer Fudd, Foghorn Leghorn, Road Runner and Marvin the Martian. His most recent work included this summer's film Coyote vs. Acme, where he voiced that entire roster of characters. Bauza was the first non-white actor to voice Bugs Bunny when he took on the role for HBO Max's Looney Tunes Cartoons in 2020, a series that ran for six seasons.

READ MORE: Sass Jordan, Juno-winning rock singer and Canadian Idol judge, dies at 65

READ MORE: Beluga rescued from Ontario's Marineland dies at California aquarium

"It is a dream come true," Bauza told CBC Radio's Metro Morning in 2020 about landing the parts. He said it took two auditions and plenty of practice. Beyond the Looney Tunes, his extensive list of credits included work on SpongeBob SquarePants, Bob's Burgers, Teen Titans Go!, The Super Mario Bros. Movie and Avatar: The Last Airbender. His IMDb page lists more than 400 credits stretching back to the early 2000s.

How did he advocate for the film Coyote vs. Acme?

Bauza was a vocal advocate for the release of the finished film Coyote vs. Acme after Warner Bros. initially cancelled it as a tax write-off. He helped lead a campaign to save the project, pushing the hashtag #ReleaseCoyoteVsACME on social media. At the 2024 Annie Awards, he made the case from the podium in the voice of Daffy Duck. "He's the go-to cartoon character above anyone else when it comes to begging and pleading," Bauza said while promoting the film. "It seemed appropriate." The campaign was successful, as an independent distributor eventually bought and released the film to glowing reviews. Bauza reprised his Looney Tunes roles in the film, which came out this summer. He is also listed in the credits for an upcoming TV movie, Bye Bye Bunny: A Looney Tunes Musical, which is still in production. His many awards included Emmy wins for his work on Looney Tunes Cartoons in 2022, Bugs Bunny Builders in 2023 and Teen Titans Go! in 2025.

What was his background and how is he being remembered?

Eric Bauza was born in Scarborough, Ont., in 1979 and attended Cardinal Newman High School. He graduated from the radio, TV and film program at Toronto's Centennial College in 2000 before moving to the United States. He often spoke about his lifelong love of cartoons, telling The Canadian Press in 2022 about the surreal experience of voicing characters from his childhood. "Fast forward, and I'm auditioning for the reboots, I buy a toy that I'm voicing, which is a Transformer that my son's now into, so it's kind of like a cat eating its tail," he said.

Fellow voice actors and colleagues have paid tribute online. Josh Keaton said Bauza was a gifted and humble performer. "He let his talent speak for itself and made everyone feel like he was their biggest fan," Keaton said on social media. Comedian Kristen Schaal, who works on Bob's Burgers, wrote on Instagram that when Bauza attended a table read, "it honestly felt like we had been blessed by the Elvis of voice actors." The day before his death, Bauza was a panelist at the LightBox Expo in Pasadena, Calif. Animation historian Jerry Beck, who moderated the panel, wrote that Bauza was "vibrant and alive," performing a Bugs Bunny routine for a packed room.

What did he say about the craft of voice acting?

Bauza emphasized that voice acting was, at its core, about performance. In a 2020 interview, he gave advice to young voice actors, telling them to remember that it's "about the acting, first." "You have to instill a performance that's grounded in reality," he said. He also enjoyed the relative anonymity his profession afforded him. "I could go to the grocery store and no one will bother me," he told the National Post in 2021. However, he noted that his talent had its perks, like using the voice of Daffy Duck to speed through U.S. Customs. "Being able to do Daffy Duck at U.S. Customs at the airport will get you through in under two minutes," he said, using the voice as he spoke. "They just listen to this voice and they stamp that passport and you're off to the races." When asked for his favourite character, Bauza said Daffy Duck was his favourite, describing him as a character who tries hard but always fails, a trait he thought was relatable to everyone.

With files from The Canadian Press, National Post and CBC News