Eric Bauza, Voice of Bugs Bunny, Dies at 46

Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Tweety and Porky Pig were among the familiar voices Eric Bauza supplied in his final film work. The Emmy-winning actor died Sunday, October 25, aged 46, and Los Angeles County medical examiner records list hypertensive cardiovascular disease as the cause. His family announced his sudden death in a short Instagram statement, saying more details would come. ^1,4

That statement followed a career spent giving new life to characters first voiced by animation great Mel Blanc. Bauza voiced Bugs and Daffy, along with Elmer Fudd, Foghorn Leghorn and other Looney Tunes figures. His projects included Coyote vs. Acme, Space Jam: A New Legacy and Looney Tunes Cartoons. He also played characters beyond the Warner Bros. cartoons, including Stimpy in Ren & Stimpy Adult Party Cartoon and Baby Fozzie in Muppet Babies. His three Children’s and Family Emmy wins honored work on Looney Tunes Cartoons, Bugs Bunny Builders and Teen Titans Go!. ^1,2

Those familiar characters helped make Bauza’s work part of a long-running cartoon tradition. Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck have appeared in Looney Tunes for generations, and Bauza became one of the modern voices audiences heard in the franchise. His death at 46 leaves that work behind across television, films and games. It also ends the career of an actor who was still voicing classic characters for new audiences. Reports put his credits at 935 voice roles across 249 titles. ^2,14

That record of 935 roles shows how widely Bauza’s voice reached, but what is publicly known about his death remains limited. The medical examiner record names the cause but does not explain his personal health history. The sources provide no further medical details. His family has asked for privacy and said more details would follow. Bauza is survived by his wife, Jessica, and their son. ^3,14