The key facts

  • Eric Bauza, the voice of Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck and Porky Pig, has died at the age of 46
  • Variety reports he died at home on Sunday from hypertensive cardiovascular disease
  • The three-time Emmy winner voiced characters in Space Jam: A New Legacy, Coyote vs. Acme and the Mario films

The voice of the classic Looney Tunes characters

Eric Bauza, who voiced the Looney Tunes characters — Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck and Porky Pig — has died at the age of 46. In a statement published on Instagram, his family said he passed away 'unexpectedly'. According to BBC News, citing Variety, the cause of death was hypertensive cardiovascular disease, and Bauza died at home on Sunday.

Career and recognition

Bauza, who was born in Ontario and had Filipino roots, said in a 2021 interview with NBC News that he had been a huge Looney Tunes fan since childhood and imitated the characters' voices as a kid. 'Looney Tunes transcends all languages and all cultures,' he said, adding that comedy is understood anywhere on the planet. He voiced Daffy Duck, Porky Pig, Elmer Fudd and Foghorn Leghorn in the 2021 film Space Jam: A New Legacy, then reprised those roles and voiced Road Runner in the summer animated hit Coyote vs. Acme. He also played General Toad in The Super Mario Bros. Movie of 2023 and its sequel The Super Mario Galaxy Movie — the fifth highest-grossing international film of this year. From 2022 to 2025, Bauza won three Emmy Awards for outstanding voice work in several television series. He also appeared in the recent release Forgotten Island.

Warner Bros. reaction

According to The Hollywood Reporter, the chairwoman of Warner Bros. Television Group and US Networks Channing Dungey said: 'Eric Bauza was a uniquely gifted voice performer who brought joy and laughter to millions of people around the world. He followed in the footsteps of giants like Mel Blanc. Eric said that carrying on the legendary legacy of Looney Tunes was one of the greatest honors of his life.' Editorially, it can be noted that Bauza was one of the few actors to officially inherit several classic studio roles at once, as confirmed by his list of credits in Space Jam and Coyote vs. Acme; the exact date of the funeral and details of the family's statement have not yet been disclosed.

A man in a dark suit with a close-cropped goatee smiles at a premiereImage source, AFP via Getty Images