Looney Tunes star Eric Bauza dead aged 46: Emmy-winning voice actor passes away 'suddenly' after battling heart disease

Published: 03:44 EDT, 26 October 2026 | Updated: 04:09 EDT, 26 October 2026 Looney Tunes star Eric Bauza has died 'suddenly' at the age of 46, after a battle with heart disease.The Emmy-winning actor had voiced iconic characters including Daffy Duck and Bugs Bunny, with his family sharing news of his passing on Instagram.Eric died as a result of heart disease, according to Los Angeles County Medical Examiner records. In a statement, the actor's family said: 'Eric Bauza, Emmy Award-winning voice actor and the modern voice of iconic Looney Tunes characters Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck, along with dozens of other beloved cartoon characters, has passed away suddenly. More details to come.'During his 25 years in the industry, Eric the Canadian voiced dozens of beloved characters, and won three Emmys for his Looney Tunes roles. He voiced multiple characters in the animated comedy Coyote v Acme, which was released in August. Looney Tunes star Eric Bauza has died 'suddenly' at the age of 46, after a battle with heart diseaseThese included Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Foghorn Leghorn, Pepé Le Pew, Porky Pig, Elmer Fudd and The Road Runner.Eric previously shared he was a huge fan of the Looney Tunes growing up and used to try and copy the voices.He told NBC News in 2021: 'Looney Tunes transcends all languages and all cultures.'It doesn't matter what part of the planet you're from. You get the comedy.'Bauza also played Toad General in 2023's The Super Mario Bros. Movie and its sequel The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, which has become the fifth highest-grossing film of 2026 internationally.He won three Emmy Awards for outstanding voice performance in 2022, 2023 and 2025 for different animated shows.Channing Dungey, the chairman of Warner Bros. Television Group and US Networks, was among those to pay tribute.He said in a statement: 'Eric Bauza was a unique voice talent who brought joy and laughter to millions around the world. The Emmy-winning actor had voiced iconic characters including Daffy Duck and Bugs Bunny, with his family sharing news of his passing on Instagram'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 honours of his life.'Born in Scarborough in Ontario, Eric made his voice acting debut in the Canadian animated series The Ripping Friends.Eric started his animation journey as a character designer for Hollywood production studios, and would go on to have more than 421 voice acting credits in film, television and video games listed on his IMDb profile.He then became the definitive modern successor to legendary voice actor Mel Blanc, and he first took on the iconic role of Bugs Bunny in 2018.He was hired by showrunner Peter Browngardt to audition during breaks in recording sessions for Uncle Grandpa.His official debut episodes eventually premiered with the launch of the HBO streaming series Looney Tunes Cartoons in 2020.Film producer and screenwriter Christopher DeFaria, who worked with Eric on Coyote v Acme, told Variety he would be remembered for his 'incredible impact'.He said: '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.'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.'