Looney Tunes Voice Actor Dies at 46 as Film Slate Nears Release

Eric Bauza, who voiced Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Porky Pig and other Looney Tunes characters, died on Sunday at age 46. The cause was hypertensive cardiovascular disease, Variety reported. He died at home.

Born in Ontario and of Filipino descent, Bauza voiced Daffy Duck, Porky Pig, Elmer Fudd and Foghorn Leghorn in the 2021 release Space Jam: A New Legacy. He reprised those roles, plus Road Runner, in this summer's animated release Coyote vs. Acme. He also appeared in the recent release Forgotten Island.

He voiced Toad General in The Super Mario Bros. Movie in 2023 and again in The Super Mario Galaxy Movie. The latter ranks as the fifth highest-grossing film internationally this year.

Bauza won three Emmy awards for outstanding voice performance in TV series between 2022 and 2025. His family announced his death on Instagram, saying he died "suddenly." Channing Dungey, chairman of Warner Bros. Television Group and US Networks, said: "Eric Bauza was a unique voice talent who brought joy and laughter to millions around the world. He followed in the footsteps of giants like Mel Blanc." In a 2021 NBC News interview, Bauza said he copied the voices of Looney Tunes characters as a child.

The Super Mario Galaxy Movie continues its international theatrical run.