Eric Bauza, the Emmy-winning voice actor who brought Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Tweety and Porky Pig to life for a new generation, has died at 46. His family announced the news on Instagram, and the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner ruled the death natural, caused by hypertensive cardiovascular disease, with sleep apnea and type 2 obesity listed as contributing factors.
Bauza’s career spanned “Looney Tunes Cartoons,” “Space Jam: A New Legacy” and “Coyote vs. Acme,” and he won three Children’s & Family Emmy Awards along the way. He inherited a legacy built by Mel Blanc, and Warner Bros. Television Group chairman Channing Dungey called him a unique voice talent who brought joy and laughter to millions around the world. Born in Toronto on December 7, 1979, Bauza leaves behind a catalog of characters that families here on the Suncoast grew up with.
His death also raises a health question worth sitting with. Sleep apnea and high blood pressure often go unnoticed until something serious happens, and both are treatable when caught early. If you wake up exhausted or your partner notices you stop breathing at night, that conversation with your doctor matters. Which Looney Tunes voice will you always hear first?
