News · Music & Entertainment · Los Angeles, California
Eric Bauza, voice actor behind modern Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck, dies at 46
Eric Bauza, the Emmy-winning voice actor who in recent years spoke for Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck and many other Looney Tunes characters, has died at age 46, according to his family, Gray News reported.
His family shared news of the unexpected death in a post on Instagram, according to the Gray News report, which was carried by stations including WCAX, WIS, WBTV and Dakota News Now.
Bauza died on Sunday, Gray News reported, citing Variety. Variety, drawing on records from the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner, said the cause of death was hypertensive cardiovascular disease.
Bauza's work covered a wide range of classic animated characters. Gray News reported that in the film "Coyote vs. Acme" he provided voices not only for Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck but also for Tweety, Elmer Fudd, Foghorn Leghorn and Porky Pig, among others.
His credits also included the movie "Space Jam: A New Legacy" and the series "Looney Tunes Cartoons," according to the report. Outside the Warner Bros. franchise, he voiced characters in "Forgotten Island," a DreamWorks Animation project.
According to Variety, as cited by Gray News, Bauza earned three Children's and Family Emmy Awards. Those honors recognized his work on "Teen Titans Go!," "Bugs Bunny Builders" and "Looney Tunes Cartoons."
Channing Dungey, who chairs Warner Bros. Television Group and U.S. Networks, issued a statement after the death was announced. "Eric Bauza was a unique voice talent who brought joy and laughter to millions around the world," Dungey said, according to Gray News.
Dungey also linked Bauza to the performer most closely associated with the original Looney Tunes characters. "He followed in the footsteps of giants like Mel Blanc," Dungey said in the statement, as reported by Gray News.
In the same statement, Dungey said Bauza had described continuing the Looney Tunes tradition as one of the greatest honors of his life.
The Gray News report did not include further details about the circumstances of Bauza's death or about memorial plans. Information about survivors beyond the family's Instagram statement was not provided in the coverage.
Compiled by True News from reporting by WCAX, WIS, WBTV and Dakota News Now. Each outlet's original story is linked below.
Sources
- Eric Bauza, the modern voice of Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck and more, dies at 46 (WCAX)
- Eric Bauza, the modern voice of Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck and more, dies at 46 (WIS)
- Eric Bauza, the modern voice of Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck and more, dies at 46 (WBTV)
- Eric Bauza, the modern voice of Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck and more, dies at 46 (Dakota News Now)
Get stories like this every morning
The True News daily briefing: who's funding your officials, the economy in plain numbers, missing persons and community stories. Free, one email a day, unsubscribe in one click.