Eric Bauza, the Emmy-winning Canadian voice actor known for Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck, has died at 46. His family confirmed his death in an Instagram statement on Sunday, October 25, 2026.
He died suddenly at his home in Los Angeles County from hypertensive cardiovascular disease.
The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner classified his death as natural and listed sleep apnea and class 2 obesity as other significant conditions. His manager, Judy Coppage, called him a “unique and versatile voice actor” and described his death as “a profound loss for his family, the animation industry and his fans.”
Born Eric Adrian Bauza on December 7, 1979, in Scarborough, Ontario, he grew up in a Filipino Canadian family. His parents had immigrated from the Philippines in the late 1960s, and his childhood included family karaoke sessions and the classic cartoons his father and grandfather loved.
Watching Mr. Dressup encouraged him to draw, while impressions of teachers, cartoon characters and his parents’ accents helped him develop his ear for voices. He attended Cardinal Newman Catholic High School, now St. John Henry Newman, and graduated from Centennial College’s Radio, Television, and Film program in 2000. During college, he interned at animation studio Spümcø.
His route into voice acting began behind the scenes, with character design and production assistant work. Early projects included Weekend Pussy Hunt and The Ripping Friends, and voicing Stimpy in Ren & Stimpy “Adult Party Cartoon” became a breakthrough.
Bauza’s animation career included voicing Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck, making him a modern voice of 2 of animation’s most recognizable characters. He was the first non-white actor to voice Bugs Bunny and worked with Warner Bros. Animation for about 15 years. His Looney Tunes roles also included Porky Pig, Tweety, Elmer Fudd, Foghorn Leghorn, Marvin the Martian and Road Runner.
Those characters connected him to audiences through projects including Looney Tunes Cartoons, Bugs Bunny Builders and Space Jam: A New Legacy. He also voiced Buster Bunny in Tiny Toons Looniversity and worked on The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie.
Across more than 400 credits, his work extended to Puss in Boots in The Adventures of Puss in Boots, Baby Fozzie in Muppet Babies, Woody Woodpecker and Foop in The Fairly OddParents. His credits also included Bob’s Burgers, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Rick and Morty and The Super Mario Bros. Movie, and he hosted the documentary series Stay Tooned.
He won 3 Children’s & Family Emmy Awards for voice performance, recognizing his work in Looney Tunes Cartoons, Bugs Bunny Builders and Teen Titans Go! His Looney Tunes Cartoons win came in 2022, and he also received multiple Daytime Emmy and Annie Award nominations.
His 2026 credits included Coyote vs. Acme, Forgotten Island and Avatar: Seven Havens. On August 26, 2026, Bauza attended the Los Angeles premiere of Coyote vs. Acme. At the time of his death, his upcoming work included the pre-production projects Bye Bye Bunny: A Looney Tunes Musical, as Daffy Duck, and The Dragon Masters, as the Shogun King.
Bauza was the father of 1 son, whom he co-parented with animation producer and director Jessica Borutski. He publicly clarified that he and Borutski had never married, describing them as good friends and co-parents. He spoke warmly about watching cartoons with his son and said fatherhood helped steer more of his work toward preschool programming.
Warner Bros. Television Group chairman Channing Dungey called Bauza “a unique voice talent who brought joy and laughter to millions around the world.” She added: “Eric said that carrying on the legendary legacy of the Looney Tunes was among the greatest honors of his life.”