Years after Warner Bros. shelved its completed film Coyote Vs. Acme, the animated Road Runner comedy was picked up by Ketchup Entertainment this summer and went on to earn over $100 million at the box office. Ten characters in the animated hit, including Bugs Bunny, Porky Pig and Daffy Duck, were voiced by the actor Eric Bauza, who died on Sunday at his San Fernando Valley home at the age of 46.
The Emmy Award-winning actor and animator has more than 400 credits – with about 30 shows released this year alone. Bauza was a towering figure in his industry, featured in seemingly every popular cartoon series, including Avatar, Dora, Lego, Minions, Bob’s Burgers and Rick and Morty. Bauza got his start in Ren & Stimpy in the early 2000s and was a regular fixture at animation events, comic conventions and was in demand at film panels and discussions of the art of animation.
“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,” his family posted to Instagram on Sunday. The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner cited hypertensive cardiovascular disease as the cause.
Variety described his performance in 2024’s The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie as a “Vocal MVP,” and the Hollywood Reporter said that Bauza “does his predecessor Mel Blanc proud.”
“This is absolutely devastating,” Bauza’s Star Trek: Lower Decks co-star Jack Quaid wrote on Instagram. “Had the honor of getting to know him over the years. I always looked up to him both as a voice actor and as a person. What an absolute legend and one of the kindest people I’ve ever met. Sending love to the entire family. We’re gonna miss you, buddy.”
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