Eric Bauza’s family shared on Instagram that Bauza has tragically passed away at the age of 46. The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s records reported that he died of hypertensive cardiovascular disease, passing in his home. His Instagram account honored his Emmy-winning legacy after voicing some of the most iconic cartoon characters in history during the 21st century:
“From the Family of Eric Bauza: 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. More details to come.”
Bauza first came onto the scene in 2001 and amassed an astonishing 421 acting credits over the next 25 years, establishing himself as one of Hollywood’s biggest voice-over stars. Most notably, he was one of eight actors to voice Bugs Bunny of the Looney Tunes, one of the most popular animated characters in history, in 2018 and continued playing the role until 2026. His biggest credits in this role include 2021’s Space Jam: A New Legacy and the 2022 video game MultiVersus.
Bugs Bunny was far from the only Looney Tunes character for which Bauza provided his voice, as he was credited for playing over a dozen roles from this iconic franchise. That long list includes Daffy Duck, Porky Pig, Tweety, Sylvester, Marvin the Martian, Yosemite Sam, Elmer Fudd, Foghorn Leghorn, Pepé Le Pew, Speedy Gonzales, the Tasmanian Devil, and other supporting roles. The final time he played these roles was in 2026’s Coyote vs. Acme, which became one of the year’s biggest surprise hits (grossing over $126 million worldwide).
Outside of the Looney Tunes, Bauza had other major legacy roles on his lengthy résumé. He took over the voice of Woody Woodpecker in 2017, starting with that year’s live-action movie alongside Timothy Omundson, and continued in the role for most of the next decade. His voice is also heard in roles such as Puss in Boots in The Adventures of Puss in Boots and Baby Fozzie in Muppet Babies.
Bauza earned massive acclaim for his work, including five Daytime Emmy Award nominations and four Children’s and Family Emmy Award nominations. He came away with three wins in the latter arena, taking away the award for Outstanding Voice Performance in a Preschool Program (for Looney Tunes Cartoons in 2022 and Bugs Bunny Builders in 2023) and Outstanding Voice Performer in a Children’s or Young Teen Program in 2024 for Teen Titans Go!: Warner Bros. 100th Anniversary.
The staff at MovieWeb send our deepest condolences to Eric Bauza’s family, friends, loved ones, and fans during this difficult time.
