Eric Bauza, the award-winning voice actor whose performances of Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck and many more characters made him the modern voice of Looney Tunes, has died. He was 46.
Bauza died suddenly late Sunday, his family said in a statement. The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner reported that he died at his home from hypertensive cardiovascular disease.
Beginning in 2001, Bauza amassed more than 400 voice acting credits in a career that gave voice to beloved characters in animated Looney Tunes series including “Puss in Boots,” “Muppet Babies,” “Avatar: The Last Airbender,” and countless others. He won three Children's and Family Emmy Awards, from 2022 to 2025.
“Looney Tunes will always have a special place in my heart,” Bauza said in an interview with The Associated Press this year. “I watched them on Saturday mornings originally. It's not just the voice but the overall aesthetic has influenced me as an artist.”
Raised in Scarborough, Ontario by Filipino immigrant parents, Bauza found his passion for voice acting as a teenager. In high school, he would deliver the P.A. system morning announcements in various cartoon voices.
In voicing Looney Tunes characters, Bauza faithfully and reverentially channeled Mel Blanc. So great was his affection for Blanc that, in conversation, he would even toss out an impression of Blanc outside the recording booth. Bauza last year told The New York Times: “Mel Blanc is like the voice of God for me.”
Bauza's Looney Tunes work included such feature films as “Space Jam: A New Legacy” (2021), “The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie” (2024) and this year's “Coyote vs. Acme.” That film, in which Wile E. Coyote takes the Acme Corporation to court for its defective products, became a modest cause célèbre after Warner Bros. opted not to release it.
After an outcry from fans, partly stoked by Bauza, the film eventually found a distributor in Ketchup Entertainment and surpassed $100 million at the worldwide box office. While the film was in limbo, Bauza argued for its release at the 2024 Annie Awards, in the voice of Daffy Duck.
“He’s the go-to cartoon character above anyone else when it comes to begging and pleading,” Bauza explained. “It seemed appropriate.”
Before becoming one of the most recognized personalities in the often anonymous field of voice acting, Bauza pursued working in animation production. After graduating from the film program at Toronto's Centennial College, Bauza first worked as animator and character layout artist. Initially, he did voice acting on the side.
Channing Dungey, chairman of Warner Bros. Television Group and U.S. Networks, called Bauza “a unique voice talent who brought joy and laughter to millions.”
As a voice acting professional, Bauza sometimes chafed at celebrities brought in to replace him in bigger-budgeted productions. Bauza occasionally voice-matched for stars including Bill Hader on “Bob's Burgers” and Antonio Banderas as Puss in Boots.
“From my experience working several times in the feature film format, there's always the reminder that it is ‘temporary dialogue’ and ‘Chris Pratt will be voicing all the Looney Tunes in this feature film' — no, just kidding,” Bauza told The AP.
But even in productions where A-list stars took the spotlight, Bauza said there was still room for “nine-to-fivers like me” to color in the scenery. Bauza, who seldom went more than a few minutes without slipping into the voice of Bugs or Daffy or some other character, was rarely anything but grateful at being part of the Looney Tunes legacy.
“The Looney Tunes were here before I was born and they're definitely going to be here long after I leave this realm,” he said shortly before the release of “Coyote vs. Acme.” “I just feel like the luckiest guy.”
FILE - Eric Bauza poses for a portrait to promote the film "Coyote vs. Acme" in Los Angeles on June 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello, File)
FILE - Cast member Eric Bauza holds a Road Runner stuffed animal as he arrives at the premiere of the film "Coyote vs. Acme" in Los Angeles on Aug. 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello, File)
FILE - Eric Bauza poses for a portrait to promote the film "Coyote vs. Acme" in Los Angeles on June 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello, File)
Regional and world leaders congratulated Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva after he defeated challenger Flávio Bolsonaro to win an unprecedented fourth term.
Latin America’s left-leaning leaders were especially quick to react, but conservative presidents across the region also acknowledged Lula's victory and emphasized the need for their countries to cooperate with Brazil on issues like fighting organized crime and reducing deforestation in the Amazon basin.
By early Monday afternoon, the government of Argentina’s President Javier Milei was the only one in South America that had not publicly acknowledged the result. After a Cabinet meeting Monday, Milei’s office issued a statement addressing several international developments, including the wars in Iran and Ukraine, but made no mention of the election outcome in neighboring Brazil. During the presidential campaign, the libertarian leader openly backed Bolsonaro and called Lula a “corrupt thief.”
Lula remains a revered figure on the region’s left, having governed Brazil from 2003 to 2010, when leftist leaders held power across much of Latin America. Over the past two years, however, Lula's influence in South America has diminished, as most of Brazil's neighbors elected right-wing governments aligned with the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump.
Since returning to office in 2023, Lula has been a vocal Trump critic, challenging the administration on issues like trade tariffs and its support for Israel's actions in the West Bank and Gaza.
On Monday, Lula was also congratulated by the leaders of the BRICS nations, an alliance of emerging economies that was designed to challenge Western dominance in international affairs. Brazil is a founding member of the alliance, which held its first summit in 2009, during Lula's second term in office.
The leaders of major European nations also congratulated Lula, expressing their willingness to work with Brazil on issues like climate change.
Long live democracy, the people of Brazil won. Congratulations, President Lula!
Dear brother Lula, on behalf of the Cuban government and people, I congratulate you for this historic victory that ensures the continuity of the path of peace, sovereignty and social justice embarked upon by the Brazilian people under your leadership. Brazil can count on Cuba in the construction of the unity and integration of our Great Homeland, Latin America and the Caribbean.
President Lula and I have big, profound political and ideological differences, but we agree on something fundamental: Brazil and Colombia mutually need each other. We have a lot to do for the benefit of our people. Mutual respect, sovereignty and cooperation should define our relationship as well as the fight against narcoterrorism, illegal mining, the protection of the Amazon and the welfare of our people.
Chile and Brazil have a lot of shared future ahead, and we will continue working on an agenda that strengthens relations between our countries in economic integration and the fight against organized crime in the region.
Congratulations to Lula on this victory. Our region has common enemies, shared challenges and much to gain when we work together.
As we approach the bicentennial of our diplomatic relations, I reaffirm our willingness to strengthen our strategic alliance, integration, cooperation and the sustainable development of the Amazon that we share, for the benefit of both our peoples.
Bolivia and Brazil are neighboring and sister countries, united by a shared history and common challenges. We will continue working together to strengthen our relationship and generate more opportunities for our nations.
Congratulations, Lula, for your election as Brazil's president. I salute the Brazilian people for this great democratic day. Paraguay and Brazil share a common agenda of integration and development. We will continue to work together for the benefit of our people.
Congratulations to the Brazilian people for exercising their right to vote, and for electing their new president in a democratic and peaceful process. I wish the greatest prosperity to the 212 million brothers and sisters who live in the largest country in Latin America.
Congratulations (...) to you, comrade President Lula, who in your seventh presidential election knew how to awaken your compatriots’ passions and their reason to win this battle.
A great victory for Lula! What has happened in Brazil will happen in Spain. The comeback of global progressivism has just begun.
My heartfelt congratulations to Lula on your reelection. France and Brazil have much to build together. In the face of the great challenges of our time, let us strengthen our strategic partnership and bring to life the friendship between our two countries in service of a more just world.
Democracy and multilateralism have won in Brazil. Europe’s partnership with Brazil is thriving. We will remain by your side for the years to come. Together we will keep working closely for free and open trade. A rules-based global order. And strong ambitions for our climate.
Lula has stood up for Brazilian workers & democracy — and will continue to do so in the next four years.
For us in Ukraine, it is important that Brazil remains active in international affairs and continues to contribute to the effective protection of human rights, the rights of peoples, and the rights of states. We thank Brazil for its unwavering support for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. We look forward to expanding our cooperation.
The election results fully reaffirmed your fellow citizens’ recognition of your outstanding leadership qualities and their support for your policies aimed at ensuring the country’s sustainable socioeconomic development and defending its sovereignty and legitimate interests on the world stage.
We will, of course, continue working closely together to expand our fruitful bilateral cooperation across all areas and our constructive engagement within the United Nations, BRICS, the G20 and other multilateral frameworks.
My sincerest congratulations to my dear friend, President Lula, on his remarkable victory in the reelection.
Together, we will continue to strengthen our cooperation in various sectors, promote the shared priorities of the global south, and work toward a more inclusive, equitable, and sustainable world.
China (...) expresses its congratulations. We are ready to work with Brazil to continue advancing the building of a China-Brazil community with a shared future.
This victory will echo beyond the shores of Brazil. It is a victory for the global south and progressive forces throughout the world. We affirm our commitment to continue strengthening bilateral relations between our two countries and working closely together in all multilateral fora to forge a just and better world order underpinned by solidarity and adherence to international law.
Follow AP’s coverage of Latin America and the Caribbean at https://apnews.com/hub/latin-america
President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva celebrates with his running mate Geraldo Alckmin after winning a fourth term in the presidential runoff in , Brazil, Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026.(AP Photo/Andre Penner)
