Eric Bauza, the Emmy-winning voice actor who played Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck and dozens of other Looney Tunes characters, died Sunday, October 25, at his Los Angeles home. He was 46. The Los Angeles County medical examiner’s office listed hypertensive cardiovascular disease as the cause, and his family confirmed the news in an Instagram statement Monday morning.
What Happened
Bauza’s family announced his death on his Instagram account Monday, October 26, writing that he had “passed away suddenly.” Variety and NBC News both confirmed the death with his manager, Judy Coppage, who said he was “loved by everyone he knew and worked with,” calling it “a profound loss for his family, the animation industry and his fans.” The Los Angeles County medical examiner’s office attributed the death to hypertensive cardiovascular disease.
The Modern Voice of Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck
Bauza, a Canadian-American voice actor, became the primary voice of Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck in 2015 and held both roles for roughly a decade, across “New Looney Tunes,” “Looney Tunes Cartoons,” “Bugs Bunny Builders” and the characters’ theatrical and streaming appearances, including “Space Jam: A New Legacy,” which made $163 million worldwide after its 2021 release, “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” (2023) and “Coyote vs. Acme” (2026). He was also the first voice actor of color to play Bugs Bunny in the character’s 86-year history.
Beyond the two headline roles, Bauza voiced Elmer Fudd, Tweety, Porky Pig, Marvin the Martian, Wile E. Coyote and Foghorn Leghorn, giving him a hand in nearly every major Looney Tunes character working today. His credits stretched well outside Termite Terrace, too: Stimpy on Nickelodeon’s “Ren & Stimpy” revival, Fozzie Bear in “Muppet Babies,” and recurring voices on “DuckTales” and “The Fairly OddParents.” He logged more than 400 acting credits between his first screen role in 2001 and his death in 2026, a 25-year span.
Three Emmys for a Character Almost a Century Old
Bauza won three Children’s & Family Emmy Awards between 2022 and 2025 for his work on “Looney Tunes Cartoons,” “Bugs Bunny Builders” and “Teen Titans Go!” In interviews about stepping into Mel Blanc’s old roles, he talked about the characters’ reach rather than the pressure of the job: “Looney Tunes transcends all languages and cultures,” he said. “It doesn’t matter what part of the planet you’re from.”
| Character | Franchise / Show | Years voiced |
|---|---|---|
| Bugs Bunny & Daffy Duck | Looney Tunes (film, TV, streaming) | 2015–2026 |
| Elmer Fudd, Tweety, Marvin the Martian | Looney Tunes Cartoons | 2019–2026 |
| Stimpy | Ren & Stimpy (Comedy Central revival) | 2019–2020 |
| Fozzie Bear | Muppet Babies (Disney Junior) | 2018–2023 |
What’s Next for Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck
Warner Bros. Discovery and Warner Bros. Animation had not announced a replacement voice as of Monday, and neither studio had issued a public statement on Bauza’s death. “Coyote vs. Acme,” the long-shelved Looney Tunes film that Warner Bros. pulled in 2023 before Ketchup Entertainment released it in theaters this past August, is his most recent finished work as Wile E. Coyote; it is not yet clear whether any of his performances remain unfinished on future Looney Tunes releases.
Frequently Asked Questions
How did Eric Bauza die?
The Los Angeles County medical examiner’s office listed hypertensive cardiovascular disease as the cause of death. He died Sunday, October 25, 2026, at his Los Angeles home.
How old was Eric Bauza?
Bauza was 46 years old.
What characters did Eric Bauza voice?
He voiced Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck since 2015, along with Elmer Fudd, Tweety, Porky Pig, Marvin the Martian, Wile E. Coyote and Foghorn Leghorn in Looney Tunes projects, plus Stimpy in the Ren & Stimpy revival and Fozzie Bear in Muppet Babies.
Did Eric Bauza win any Emmy Awards?
Yes. He won three Children’s & Family Emmy Awards between 2022 and 2025, for Looney Tunes Cartoons, Bugs Bunny Builders and Teen Titans Go!
Was Eric Bauza the first Bugs Bunny voice actor of color?
Yes. When he took over the role in 2015, Bauza became the first voice actor of color to play Bugs Bunny in the character’s history.
Warner Bros. isn’t the only studio that’s lost a familiar face this month — Breaking Bad’s RJ Mitte died earlier in October. If you want to actually watch Looney Tunes and the rest of Bauza’s catalog, our guide to the best free animated shows streaming now covers it, and for another recent animation voice-casting shake-up, see why Marvel Zombies replaced two of its lead voice actors.
