Voice actor Eric Bauza, who gave voice to classic animated icons including Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck, died on Sunday, October 25. He was 46 years old [1]. His family announced his death on his Instagram account, stating that more details would follow. Entertainment news website Variety reported that records from the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner confirmed he died at his home due to hypertensive cardiovascular disease [2]. Born in Scarborough, Toronto on December 7, 1979, he built a prolific voice acting career over more than two decades of television and film work [1].
Early Animation Career of Eric Bauza
Eric Bauza grew up in Scarborough in a Filipino immigrant family, where he watched Saturday morning cartoons with his brother. In an interview with Caroline Cao for JoySauce, he recalled studying art reproductions in Chuck Jones gallery catalogs by using a magnifying glass to inspect character poses. He also practiced with a microphone by recording audio messages that his family mailed to relatives in the Philippines. While studying radio, television, and film at Centennial College in Toronto, he joined the animation studio Spumco as an intern in 1999 and worked as a production assistant [1].
His first credited voice acting role arrived in 2001 on the animated series The Ripping Friends [2]. For that show, he voiced Future Cat, basing the voice on Cartoon Brew co-founder Amid Amidi. In a 2009 interview with Jason Anders for Fülle Circle, Bauza said John Kricfalusi suggested the idea: “You just have to hear him talk in person – it’s like magic.”. He later voiced Stimpy in Ren & Stimpy “Adult Party Cartoon” while contributing layouts and editing animatics. That job taught him how vocal timing shapes visual movement in animation [1].
He soon voiced Rodolfo Rivera, the superhero known as White Pantera, in Jorge R. Gutierrez and Sandra Equihua’s Emmy-winning series El Tigre: The Adventures of Manny Rivera. He played Foop in The Fairly OddParents, Buhdeuce in Breadwinners, and Belly Bag in Uncle Grandpa. His action credits included Storm Shadow and Destro in G.I. Joe: Resolute, plus Tiger Claw in Nickelodeon’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles [1]. In 2023, he became the voice of Buster Bunny in the reboot show Tiny Toons Looniversity [2].
Reviving Classic Looney Tunes Characters
Bauza began voicing Marvin the Martian on The Looney Tunes Show in 2011 [2]. Over the next decade, his duties grew until he took on the central cast of the franchise. Stepping into shoes first filled by Mel Blanc, he became the voice of Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Tweety, and Porky Pig for the recent Looney Tunes Cartoons shorts. He also voiced characters for franchise video games and cereal ads, playing Lucky the Leprechaun and the Trix Rabbit [1].
His creative partnership with Pete Browngardt began after Bauza saw Browngardt’s original pitch short while working at his drawing desk. During a 2015 Comic-Con panel, he said that short film made him want to partner with Browngardt right away. That connection culminated in the feature film The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie, where Bauza voiced both Daffy Duck and Porky Pig in shared scenes. In an interview with Rachael Harper for SciFiNow, he said he recorded Porky first to protect his vocal cords before tackling Daffy’s demanding outbursts in the booth. He explained that in the same scene, he had to shift between the instigator and the worrier, balancing explosive reactions with hesitant replies. He credited Browngardt, Alex Kirwan, and the writing team with giving him the foundation for those dual performances [1].
In the 2021 feature film Space Jam: A New Legacy, Bauza voiced five characters: Daffy Duck, Porky Pig, Foghorn Leghorn, Elmer Fudd, and Marvin the Martian [2]. Eric Bauza explained his approach to voice acting in a 2023 conversation with Victoria Davis for Animation World Network: “What gets you through that door and allows you to stay in the room is the good acting.”. In a September interview with Movieland, he described his mindset in the recording studio: “Every time I hop into the booth to do something new with these characters, it’s like being on the job for the first day.” [1].
Major Roles in Film and Television
Bauza also took over well-known legacy roles for other studios. He voiced the title hero in The Adventures of Puss in Boots, Baby Fozzie in Muppet Babies, and Woody Woodpecker in Universal’s feature films [1]. His television credits included Avatar: The Last Airbender, Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel, and Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated [2]. He also voiced Lord Stingray in Superjail! for Adult Swim [1].
His work reached into major video game adaptations. He voiced Diddy Kong and the Toad General in the animated box office hit The Super Mario Bros. Movie. He reprised his role as the Toad General this year in The Super Mario Galaxy Movie. In the live-action horror film Buddy, he voiced five characters: Mr. Mailbox, Couchy, Trashy, Pee Flower, and Worry Well [2].
In the unreleased film Coyote vs. Acme, he performed eleven different characters. His roles in that project included Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Tweety, Porky Pig, Road Runner, Foghorn Leghorn, Pepé Le Pew, Charlie Dog, Gossamer, Senator Elmer Fudd, and Dr. Peter Lorre. His final completed feature film role was in Forgotten Island, where he voiced General Button Wutton and the mythical creature Sarangay [2].
Advocacy for Voice Actors and Representation
Eric Bauza became the first person of color to voice Bugs Bunny, an event that resonated with Filipino and Asian viewers. In an interview with Caroline Cao for JoySauce, he discussed the public reaction: “I like that there was a reaction, and there were people that were very proud and excited to see a person of color in the driver’s seat.”. He added that he hoped his work would encourage young performers who felt unheard or assumed such roles were out of reach [1].
His love of cartoon history also led him to examine troubled aspects of vintage cartoons. He hosted the CBC documentary series Stay Tooned, where he interviewed artists and critics about racial stereotypes, representation, and marketing in children’s television. Speaking with Pat Mullen for POV, Bauza explained the purpose of the series: “It’s good to talk about them, examine them, and learn from them as opposed to sweeping them under the rug.”. He also pushed for authentic casting in voice booths and urged media commentators to take animation seriously as an art form [1].
When Warner Bros. chose to shelve Coyote vs. Acme after production was finished, Bauza became a vocal champion for its release. At the 2024 Annie Awards, he took the stage and delivered a speech in Daffy Duck’s indignant voice to protest the studio’s decision. He regularly used his public appearances to defend the labor of artists, animators, and writers whose work sat in studio vaults [1].
Emmy Honors and Eric Bauza Final Roles
Industry peers honored Bauza’s vocal range in television. He won three Children’s & Family Emmy Awards for Looney Tunes Cartoons, Bugs Bunny Builders, and Teen Titans Go! [1]. He also earned five Daytime Emmy nominations for Looney Tunes Cartoons, Muppet Babies, and The Adventures of Puss in Boots [2].
Eric Bauza was preparing for two upcoming animated projects at the time of his death. Variety reported that he was cast as Daffy Duck in Bye Bye Bunny: A Looney Tunes Musical, which featured lyrics by Ariel Dumas and music by Tom Kitt. In August 2024, he shared a video clip of his singing audition on social media using the hashtag #StandWithAnimation [1]. He was also cast to voice the Shogun King in the animated project The Dragon Masters [2].
Bauza is survived by his young son. In his AWN interview, he said fatherhood gave him a growing affection for preschool programming and watching cartoons together at home. His son could recognize his father’s voice on television, even in episodes Bauza had forgotten recording [1].
- ONLINE NEWS Lang, J. (2026, October 26). Eric Bauza, prolific Bugs Bunny voice actor, dies at 46. Cartoon Brew. [Article Link]
- ONLINE NEWS Anime News Network. (2026, October 26). Looney Tunes voice actor Eric Bauza dies at 46. Anime News Network. [Article Link]
