Last updated: October 26, 2026
Eric Bauza was a Canadian voice actor and the official voice of Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Porky Pig and other Looney Tunes characters. He died suddenly on Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026, at his home in Los Angeles. He was 46. The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner lists the cause as hypertensive cardiovascular disease. He had more than 400 credits and won three Children’s & Family Emmys, and he was one of only a handful of people ever trusted with the voices Mel Blanc made famous.
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Quick facts
Born: Dec. 7, 1979, in Scarborough, Toronto, Ontario
Died: Oct. 25, 2026, in Los Angeles, age 46
Cause of death: Hypertensive cardiovascular disease, per the L.A. County Medical Examiner
Heritage: Filipino-Canadian
Education: Cardinal Newman Catholic High School in Toronto. Centennial College (radio, television and film), class of 2000.
Best known for: Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Porky Pig, Tweety, Marvin the Martian, Elmer Fudd and Foghorn Leghorn
Other roles: Stimpy, Woody Woodpecker, Baby Fozzie (Muppet Babies), Buster Bunny (Tiny Toons Looniversity), Toad General (The Super Mario Bros. Movie)
Credits: More than 400
Awards: Three Children’s & Family Emmys. Five Daytime Emmy nominations.
Family: Survived by his son, Ryker
Who is Eric Bauza?
Bauza grew up in Scarborough, a suburb of Toronto, in a Filipino family. The Toronto Star reported in 2020 that he did the morning announcements at his high school in a Homer Simpson voice. He was also his class valedictorian.
He studied radio, television and film at Centennial College and graduated in 2000. In his third year he interned at Spümcø, the studio behind The Ren & Stimpy Show, and later worked there as a production assistant. His first voice role was on the cartoon The Ripping Friends in 2001. A few years later he took over the voice of Stimpy from Billy West.
He spent the next two decades as one of the busiest voice actors in animation. He moved to Los Angeles and worked on dozens of shows. He also did stand-up comedy at the Laugh Factory.
In 2020, Warner Bros. made him the lead voice of Bugs Bunny in Looney Tunes Cartoons on HBO Max. He already voiced Daffy, Porky, Tweety and Marvin. He told NBC News in 2021 that he was the first person of color to voice Bugs. He played the classic characters in Space Jam: A New Legacy (2021) and, most recently, in Coyote vs. Acme (2026).
He was scheduled to attend a premiere on the day he died, to support a new Daffy Duck short, The Hollywood Reporter said. His family announced his death on Instagram. They said he “passed away suddenly” and that more details would come.
Career timeline
1979: Born Dec. 7 in Scarborough, Toronto.
2000: Graduates from Centennial College.
2001: First voice role, on Spümcø’s The Ripping Friends.
2003: Voices Stimpy in Ren & Stimpy “Adult Party Cartoon.”
2015–2018: Stars as Puss in Boots in Netflix’s The Adventures of Puss in Boots.
2018: Starts voicing Baby Fozzie in Disney’s Muppet Babies (through 2022).
2020: Becomes the lead voice of Bugs Bunny in Looney Tunes Cartoons.
2021: Voices Daffy, Porky, Foghorn Leghorn, Elmer Fudd and Marvin in Space Jam: A New Legacy.
2022: Hosts the CBC Gem series Stay Tooned.
2023: Voices Buster Bunny in Tiny Toons Looniversity and Toad General in The Super Mario Bros. Movie.
Aug. 2026: Coyote vs. Acme opens in theaters, with Bauza voicing Bugs, Daffy, Tweety, Porky, Foghorn and more.
Oct. 25, 2026: Dies at home in Los Angeles, age 46.
Notable roles & projects
Looney Tunes: The main voice of Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Porky Pig, Tweety, Marvin the Martian and others across Looney Tunes Cartoons, Bugs Bunny Builders and feature films.
Feature films: Space Jam: A New Legacy (2021), The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023) and its sequel, and Coyote vs. Acme (2026).
TV: Stimpy, Woody Woodpecker, Baby Fozzie, Buster Bunny, and Puss in Boots in Netflix’s The Adventures of Puss in Boots. Recurring voices on Bob’s Burgers.
Commercials: Lucky the Leprechaun (Lucky Charms) and the Trix Rabbit.
Upcoming: He was in pre-production on Bye Bye Bunny: A Looney Tunes Musical (as Daffy) and The Dragon Masters, according to Variety.
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What he’s known for
Carrying Mel Blanc’s legacy: Blanc created the voices of Bugs, Daffy and Porky. Very few actors have voiced them since. Bauza voiced more of them at once than almost anyone.
Range: He could jump between a dozen characters in one session.
Homework: He studied the old cartoons like an athlete studies film.
Representation: He was proud to be a Filipino-Canadian kid from Scarborough voicing America’s most famous rabbit.
In the news
Oct. 26, 2026: Tributes poured in from Warner Bros., colleagues and fans after news of his death broke. Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, NBC News, the BBC and The Guardian all ran obituaries.
Oct. 25, 2026: Bauza died suddenly at his home in Los Angeles. He was 46.
Quotes
“I study those cartoons. I watch about an hour of Looney Tunes a day. That’s like going to the gym for me.” — to NBC News, 2021
“Looney Tunes transcends all languages and all cultures… You get the comedy.” — to NBC News, 2021
“He followed in the footsteps of giants like Mel Blanc.” — Channing Dungey, chair of Warner Bros. Television Group, in a statement (via Variety)
Controversies / criticism
None of note. Bauza had a reputation in the industry as a hard worker and a generous colleague.
Net worth & money
His net worth was never publicly reported. Figures on celebrity net-worth websites are guesses. Voice actors are usually paid per session or per episode under union (SAG-AFTRA) rates, plus extra for big studio films and ads.
FAQ
Who was Eric Bauza?
A Canadian voice actor who was the official voice of Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Porky Pig and other Looney Tunes characters.
How did Eric Bauza die?
He died suddenly at his home in Los Angeles on Oct. 25, 2026. The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner lists the cause as hypertensive cardiovascular disease.
How old was Eric Bauza?
He was 46. He was born Dec. 7, 1979.
What characters did Eric Bauza voice?
Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Porky Pig, Tweety, Marvin the Martian, Elmer Fudd, Foghorn Leghorn, Stimpy, Woody Woodpecker, Baby Fozzie, Buster Bunny and Toad General, among more than 400 credits.
Was Eric Bauza the voice of Bugs Bunny?
Yes. He became the lead voice of Bugs Bunny in 2020 with Looney Tunes Cartoons, and voiced him in Coyote vs. Acme (2026).
Where was Eric Bauza from?
Scarborough, in Toronto, Canada. His family is Filipino.
Did Eric Bauza have children?
Yes, a son, Ryker.
Further reading
Eric Bauza, Emmy-winning Looney Tunes voice actor, dead at 46 — Variety
Eric Bauza, voice of Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck, dies at 46 — The Hollywood Reporter
How a ‘Space Jam’ voice actor’s career is tied to his Filipino roots — NBC News, 2021
Meet the new voice of Bugs Bunny — Toronto Star, 2020
The Profile Dossier: Ed Catmull, Pixar’s Creative Genius — The Profile
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