Eric Bauza, the modern voice of The Looney Tunes, including Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, and more, has passed at the young age of 46. While many fans wouldn’t normally have seen the actor, given his iconic work voicing some of the most beloved cartoon characters in the entire world, the success of this summer’s shelved and then revived Coyote vs. Acme provided an opportunity for Bauza to step into the spotlight and get some much-deserved face time with press and fans.
The news of Bauza’s passing was announced on his Instagram and no details are known at this time regarding the cause.
The Instagram post was signed by the actor’s family and indicated that Bauza’s death was sudden and unexpected.
While Bauza was best-known for being the primary voice actor for numerous Looney Tunes characters – including the franchise’s biggest stars – fans will also have heard his work as Puss in The Adventures of Puss in Boots TV series, as well as numerous roles in DC and Marvel animated films. Comic book fans will note that in his time acting, Bauza played everyone from The Flash to Mr. Freeze, Amadeus Cho, Ezekiel “Zeke” Stane, Aquaman, Jimmy Olsen, Two-Face, Thunderbolt Ross, and more.
Check out the video below to see Bauza performing numerous voices from his filmography:
Bauza was born December 7, 1979 in Toronto, Ontario and often credited his family (especially his father and grandfather) for introducing him to The Looney Tunes and kicking off his love for animation. The actor formally began work in the field as an intern during his third year of college – ultimately working in production before stepping behind the mic as an actor. Bauza worked his way through numerous well-known roles before becoming the go-to voice behind the modern day Looney Tunes – which eventually won him the Children’s and Family Emmy Award for Outstanding Voice Performance in an Animated Program, the first time the prize was ever awarded.
Prior to his death, Bauza had been enjoying some well-deserved time in the spotlight as part of promotion for Coyote vs. Acme. Fans that attended San Diego Comic-Con 2025 will remember an especially excited Bauza performing a variety of Looney Tunes characters in front of a packed crowd in Hall H. One year later, Coyote vs. Acme, a movie that was nearly left on the shelf, became one of summer 2026’s biggest hits – and Bauza was a big part of its success, voicing over 10 characters in the movie: Bugs Bunny, Charlie Dog, Daffy Duck, Dr. Peter Lorre, Foghorn Leghorn, Gossamer, Pepé Le Pew, Porky Pig, Senator Elmer Fudd, The Road Runner, and Tweety.
Our thoughts go out to Eric Bauza’s loved ones during this unexpected and difficult time.