Eric Bauza dies at 46: cause, credits and tributes

Eric Bauza, who voiced Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck and Porky Pig in Warner Bros. animated productions, died on Sunday at his home. He was 46. His family announced the death on Instagram, saying the performer had died "suddenly." Variety reported the cause as hypertensive cardiovascular disease.

Bauza had recently voiced characters in Coyote vs. Acme, the animated film released this summer, and appeared in the release Forgotten Island. His Looney Tunes work reached a wide audience in 2021's Space Jam: A New Legacy, where he voiced Daffy Duck, Porky Pig, Elmer Fudd and Foghorn Leghorn. He returned to those roles in Coyote vs. Acme and also played Road Runner.

Outside Looney Tunes, Bauza played Toad General in 2023's The Super Mario Bros. Movie and in its sequel, The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, which is the fifth highest-grossing film internationally this year. Between 2022 and 2025, he won three Emmy awards for outstanding voice performance across a number of TV series.

Born in Ontario and of Filipino descent, Bauza grew up imitating the voices of the Looney Tunes characters. In a 2021 interview with NBC News, he described why the cartoons travel: "Looney Tunes transcends all languages and all cultures.. You get the comedy."

Channing Dungey, chairman of Warner Bros. Television Group and US Networks, said in a statement reported by the Hollywood Reporter that Bauza "was a unique voice talent who brought joy and laughter to millions around the world." She added that he followed in the footsteps of Mel Blanc and that carrying on the legacy of the Looney Tunes was among the greatest honors of his life.

The Super Mario Galaxy Movie continues to play internationally, where it ranks as the fifth highest-grossing film this year.