Eric Bauza, the actor who voiced “Looney Tunes” characters Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck, has died “suddenly” at 46.
The Canadian-born star died at a home in Los Angeles County on Sunday – and his cause of death has been listed as hypertensive cardiovascular disease, Los Angeles County medical examiners said.
His manner of death was natural but officials also noted he suffered from sleep apnea and class two obesity.
Bauza “passed away suddenly,” a family statement shared on his Instagram page Sunday said.
“More details to come,” they wrote, while his manager, Judy Coppage, told NBCLA he was a “unique and versatile voice actor.”
“His sudden passing is a shock to all of us, and he will be deeply missed. It’s a profound loss for his family, the animation industry and his fans,” Coppage said of the Scarborough, Toronto-born actor.
“As his longtime manager, the pleasure of watching him succeed and excel to become one of the most accomplished voices in animation was rewarding and thrilling.”
Bauza, who won three Children’s & Family Emmy Awards, was known for his role voicing iconic “Looney Tunes” characters Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck in the “Looney Tunes Cartoons” series which aired between 2019 and 2023.
He succeeded Mel Blanc – the voice actor known as “The Man of a Thousand Voices” – in voicing the iconic “Looney Tunes” characters.
Bauza was also the voice of Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck in the 2018 video game “Looney Tunes: World of Mayhem” and starred in the “The New Looney Tunes” TV series, playing the characters of Pepe Le Pew and Marvin the Martian.
Bauza initially started as a character designer working with Hollywood production studios before turning his hand to voice acting, according to his SBV Talent bio.
His career dated back to 2001 where he appeared in the TV series “The Ripping Friends.”
During his 25 year career, he voiced the “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” characters Tiger Claw, Hun, Vic Fulci in the TV series of the same name.
He was behind the voices of Driba, Diamondhead and Dr. Psychobos in “Ben 10: Omniverse,” appearing in 52 episodes between 2012 and 2014.
Bauza was also known for being the voice behind Drift, Lt. Ziegler, and Headlock in the TV series “Transformers: Robots in Disguise,” which aired between 2015 and 2017.
Other acting credits include “Bob’s Burgers,” “Rick and Morty” and the TV series “The Mighty Ones,” which features HBO star Josh Brener.
He also voiced characters in “The Book of Life” and “The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge out of Water” and played Woody Woodpecker in the Universal film of the same name.
This year Bauza reprised his role voicing Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck in the film “Coyote vs. Acme” – a movie which stars Will Forte, Lana Condor and John Cena.
Bauza had an upcoming role as Daffy Duck in the movie “Bye Bye Bunny: A Looney Tunes Musical,” according to his IMDB. The movie is in the pre-production phase.
Tributes have poured in following the voice actor’s death.
“Eric Bauza was a unique voice talent who brought joy and laughter to millions around the world. During his 15 years at Warner Bros. Animation, he was the voice of Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck among countless other characters,”Channing Dungey, Warner Bros. Television Group and US Networks Chairman, said, according to Variety.
“He followed in the footsteps of giants like Mel Blanc. Eric said that carrying on the legendary legacy of the Looney Tunes was among the greatest honors of his life. In addition to his incredible talent, Eric was a treasured part of our animation family. Our hearts go out to his loved ones.”
Chris DeFaria, the producer of “Coyote vs Acme,” hailed Bauza for being a master in his craft.
“He embodied everything we wanted from this film, including the major theme of the movie that a little guy can make a difference in this world,” DeFaria told Variety.
“He’s a voiceover artist for animated characters that have historic precedents and roles, and somehow out of that, he carved out a place in this business. And this past year, he had such an incredible impact, both on our movie, of course, but also on bringing attention to this amazing art form.”
