Eric Bauza, the Emmy Award-winning voice actor behind Looney Tunes characters like Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck, died Sunday at his home as a result of hypertensive cardiovascular disease, according to Los Angeles County Medical Examiner records. He was 46.
Eric Bauza (Credits: Variety / Getty Images)
Bauza’s death was announced by his family, who shared a statement to the actor’s Instagram account on Sunday. “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,” they wrote. “More details to come.”
Eric Bauza: The Modern Voice of the Looney Tunes
Born December 7, 1979, in Scarborough, Ontario, Canada, Bauza grew up obsessed with Warner Bros. cartoons, from Looney Tunes and Animaniacs to Batman: The Animated Series. He broke out voicing Marvin the Martian on 2011’s The Looney Tunes Show, and soon became the voice of almost the entire core cast, including Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Porky Pig, Tweety, and Marvin the Martian, along with Woody Woodpecker.
His work earned him three Children’s and Family Emmy Awards: the first-ever award for Outstanding Voice Performance in an Animated Program for Looney Tunes Cartoons in 2022, followed by wins for Bugs Bunny Builders and Teen Titans Go!. Across his career, he amassed 935 voice credits across 249 titles spanning television, film, video games, and shorts.
Beyond Bugs Bunny: Bauza’s Wider Career
Beyond the Looney Tunes, Bauza voiced Puss in Boots in The Adventures of Puss in Boots and Baby Fozzie in Muppet Babies, along with roles in Bob’s Burgers, Rick and Morty, DuckTales, and Space Jam: A New Legacy. He was also one of the most outspoken champions of Coyote vs. Acme, in which he voiced Daffy, Porky, Tweety, Foghorn Leghorn, and Bugs Bunny, famously pleading at the Annie Awards to “release Coyote vs. Acme” when Warner Bros. shelved the film. He lived to see it released through Ketchup Entertainment just a couple of months ago, making it one of his final roles. He is survived by his wife Jessica and one son.
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Source: Variety — read the full story there.
