The Voice Behind Bugs Bunny Is Silenced as Eric Bauza, Three-Time Emmy Winner, Has Died at 47

Eric Bauza, the Emmy Award-winning voice actor behind Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, and Porky Pig for a new generation, died at his home in Los Angeles on Sunday, October 25, 2026. He was 46.

The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner confirmed the cause of death as hypertensive cardiovascular disease, classified as natural. The examiner’s report noted sleep apnea and class 2 obesity as contributing health conditions. Bauza’s family announced his passing on Instagram, describing it as sudden. Warner Bros. Animation paid tribute to Bauza following the announcement.

Bauza’s death leaves a rare, production-wide void in American animation. He simultaneously voiced Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Porky Pig, and Tweety for Warner Bros. His passing leaves the Looney Tunes core ensemble without a performer for the first time in years.

From Toronto to Mel Blanc's Chair

Bauza was born in 1979 in Toronto. He spent years with Warner Bros. Animation and accumulated over 400 voice credits. He won three Children’s & Family Emmy Awards, including for Looney Tunes Cartoons—making him one of the most decorated voice performers in American animation.

In 2026, his work was visible in the recently released Coyote vs. Acme. The film’s August 2026 theatrical release followed a three-year public campaign by Bauza and others after Warner Bros. Discovery initially tried to write off the $70 million production as a tax loss in 2023. Hollywood animation and streaming coverage tracked the campaign from the initial shelving decision through to the eventual rescue and release.

Bauza spent more than three years publicly campaigning to save Coyote vs. Acme after Warner Bros. first tried to write it off. He attended the film’s rescued Los Angeles premiere in August 2026—two months before his sudden death at 46.

What was Eric Bauza’s official cause of death?

According to the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner, Eric Bauza died naturally at his Los Angeles home on Sunday, October 25, 2026, from hypertensive cardiovascular disease. The report also noted sleep apnea and class 2 obesity as contributing health factors.

Warner Bros. Animation has not yet announced casting decisions for future Looney Tunes productions.

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