^{Credit: Eric Bauza} 

Eric Bauza, the voice behind numerous Looney Tunes characters, has tragically passed away at 46. The news broke across Bauza’s social media accounts with the following message: “From the Family of Eric Bauza: 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. More details to come.”

Bauza’s career spanned numerous productions, voicing characters on Bob's Burgers, Rick and Morty, Invincible, The Adventures of Puss in Boots, and the recent Muppet Babies reboot, among others. Yet, his legacy will be defined as the voice of the Looney Tunes for a generation. Bauza broke out voicing Marvin the Martian on 2011’s The Looney Tunes Show. It wasn’t long until he started voicing almost all of the key Looney Tunes characters across various media. Bauza won his first Children's and Family Emmy Award in 2022 for voicing Bugs Bunny, Marvin the Martian, Daffy Duck, and Tweety in Looney Tunes Cartoons. He went on to win two more Emmys for his voiceover work in Bugs Bunny Builders and Teen Titans Go!: Warner Bros. 100th Anniversary. 

Bauza lent his voice to features as well, including Space Jam: A New Legacy and The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie. Recently, Bauza starred in Coyote vs. Acme, voicing Daffy Duck, Porky Pig, Senator Elmer Fudd, Tweety, Foghorn Leghorn, Gossamer, Charlie Dog, Pepé Le Pew, the Road Runner, and Bugs Bunny. When Warner Bros. shelved the picture, Bauza was one of the most outspoken supporters to overturn their decision. Channeling Daffy at the 51st Annie Awards, Bauza said, "I hate to be political, but release Coyote vs. Acme!" Bauza lived to see the film released through Ketchup Entertainment just a couple of months ago. The fact that this will be one of Bauza’s last roles is as surreal as it is devastating.

Next month will see the release of Warner Bros. Pictures Animation’s The Cat in the Hat. Accompanying that feature is the animated short Daffy Season, which premiered at Annecy earlier this year. Bauza voiced the short’s titular duck. Many assumed that Bauza would continue to voice Daffy and other Looney Tunes for years to come. Bauza was so much more than the modern voice of the Looney Tunes. He understood the responsibility of voicing these classic characters, perhaps becoming the most beloved successor to Bugs, Daffy, and the rest since Mel Blanc’s passing in 1989. 

After Mel Blanc died, several talented voice artists filled his shoes, including Jeff Bergman, Bob Bergen, and Joe Alaskey, the latter of whom died in 2016. Yet, Bauza was a standout both behind the mic and in front of the camera. Where so many voice actors remain hidden figures, Bauza became one of the most recognizable faces the profession had to offer. For many young talents looking to break into the voice acting industry, Bauza is surely one of the reasons why. The Looney Tunes won’t die with Bauza, but it’s still hard to imagine the franchise enduring without his influence. 

A few years ago, I wrote a WatchMojo list for the Top 10 Best Looney Tunes Voice Acting Performances. Bauza ranked third behind Blanc and Alaskey. Bauza was nice enough to respond to me, “Thank you for shining a spotlight on these important legacy characters!!!! Looney Tunes don’t get the love and respect they used to. I never thought I’d live to see the day that I was included on such an esteemed list of performers.” Bauza got to live his dream, voicing some of the most iconic characters in animation. His sudden passing is a sad reminder that you never know when somebody is going to say, “That’s all, folks,” for the last time. 

RIP Eric Bauza (1979-2026)